The Beginning, The End, and Everything in Between
by R011ingThunder
Summary: Juvia's on the fence. Maybe one last job with the two most important guys in her life will help her decide where her heart lies. [Mazeverse] Lyvia or Gruvia. Who will be endgame?
1. Every Journey Begins with a Single Step

_**Erza**'s taking a mission at Crime Sorciere, going after the man she thought she always wanted. Is she leaving behind the man she thought she'd always have?  
**Natsu** has friend-zoned himself, leaving **Lucy** and **Lisanna** in the lurch. He'd rather avoid them both than risk being a two-timer like **Gray**.  
**Gray** (not actually a two-timer) just can't seem to catch a break. Maybe he just wasn't meant for romantic happiness. Or maybe it's time for a new direction.  
**Mira**'s stuck in the past, unable to accept that **Laxus** has his sights set elsewhere. __**Freed**'s never, never giving up on her, even if that means a broken heart.  
**Juvia**'s having second thoughts about **Gray**, but **Lyon**'s ready to call it quits. Can she get her feelings sorted out in time, or will she be left with nothing?  
And **Toby**'s dating **Jenny Realight**. The Jenny Realight. Wait, what?!  
_

_Something's gotta give._

__This is the Mazeverse series, a post-Tenrou AU _____where we put your ships in a blender and beat 'til smooth_. __Lyvia, __Gruvia, Jerza, ______Grayza, __Nalu, Nali, Lolu, Graylu, Bixanna, Gale, ElfEver, Miraxus, Laxana, MiraFreed as well as a handful of crackships and rare-pairs as we try to pair the spares. This is the Mazeverse. No ship is safe ;)__

* * *

**Happy Friday! ******This is it, you guys. This is the big one. :) ****

****This fic resolves the ongoing Lyvia-Gruvia subplot for this universe. This was a really hard one for me to do. I wasn't quite sure how to do justice to each character's arc, so I ended up completely rewriting this story... three whole times. So _hopefully_ you guys like it.  
****

****If you're new to Mazeverse, no problem. You may have to suspend disbelief and take some things at face value. (It's a what-if AU. I'm so far down the what-if rabbit hole that some things have gotten to be very different from canon. Just like how Edolas was the same, but different.) You've been warned. ;P  
****

****Long time readers have probably learned not to make assumptions about where this is going to go. I've been known to mercilessly set up a deck with foregone conclusions and then dropping a reverse card on it. (Uno! XD) I think the surprise is part of the fun. ********But if you're the sort of reader who only wants to read certain ships and you don't like surprises, I've got you covered! :) See _Anniversary: Special, Just Because_, chapter 6. (Obviously, if you _don't_ want spoilers, don't look. :))****

**\- K. Chandler**

* * *

It was too quiet.

It had been two weeks since Erza had left. She was somewhere far away, with that idiot Jellal and his ridiculous band of convicts. Crime Sorciere HQ. Wherever _that_ was.

Gray, on the other hand, was here. In the guild. Alone. And bored out of his freaking skull.

It didn't help that Natsu and Happy were out too. He heard from Mira that they had signed up for a whole bunch of solo jobs. They hadn't even said anything before they left! Natsu was scatterbrained on the best of days, and he probably didn't mean anything by it. Still, it bothered Gray that his rival would just up and leave without saying a word. Even more surprising, they hadn't taken Lucy with them. Gray had thought that Lucy and the Flame Brain were inseparable.

Lucy had taken a job with Levy and her team. Her rent was due next week, and she was still short a few thousand Jewels. The girls had invited him to tag along, but Gray had begged off. Of course, that had set Lucy off, as she told him to quit 'moping'. Obviously, he _really_ hadn't wanted to go at that point.

Sighing, Gray let his heavy head drop to his arms. He totally wasn't _moping_. He just hadn't been feeling very sociable lately. Gray wasn't sure what had brought on his dark mood, but it had left him feeling lethargic and restless at the same time.

He was starting to regret not going with them. Not that he had the energy to actually have gone. Gray sighed again.

Idly, he wondered if it would be out of line to pick a fight with Elfman. Mira probably wouldn't appreciate that. Gray had expected things to be crazier with Erza away, but Mira had been running a surprisingly tight ship. With the wilder members of their guild out, it wasn't too difficult keeping the rest of them in line. Mira would break any fight up in a heartbeat. Okay, that idea was officially out. Gray shuddered. Mira could be pretty scary. They didn't call her the She-Devil for nothing.

He looked up when he heard someone calling his name.

Juvia Lockser beamed at him across the table. Gray pushed aside his habitual wariness, reminding himself to be polite. His bad mood was not her fault. And just because she was exhausting didn't make it okay to lash out at her.

Gray plastered a friendly smile on his face. "Hey, Juvia! What's up?"

"You looked bored," she said simply.

She didn't know the half of it…

Gray chuckled. "You've got that one right. Has Fairy Tail ever been so quiet?" he asked.

"Sometimes." Juvia shrugged. "Things are less exciting when Gray is out with Natsu and the girls."

The corners of Gray's mouth twitched with amusement. He hadn't missed the way Juvia had carefully folded her hands in her lap. She had certainly mellowed lately. She could be pretty fun to be around when she wasn't so overwhelming and grabby all the time. It was sort of nice.

"And what do you usually do when I'm out with my team?" asked Gray.

"I talk with Gajee."

_That_ made Gray pause. Not the fact that Juvia spent time with the Iron Dragon Slayer—that was no surprise. They had been friends since her Phantom Lord days, after all. It was that she hadn't referred to herself in the third person. She seemed to be doing less of that these days. But he was probably reading too much into it.

"Too bad he's not here right now," said Gray.

Gajeel. Now, _he'd_ be an interesting one to fight, and Gray was just antsy enough to try it. Not that it was a _good_ idea, exactly. Normally it'd be no big deal, but he was off his game today. The Iron Dragon-Slayer would probably end up wiping the floor with him. But it would be fun to see how long he would last before Gajeel crushed his skull. That didn't sound like a bad way to go, actually. And it would have been way better than just sitting around.

Gray shook the morbid thought from his head. What was with him today? He couldn't really be _that_ upset about… no, he wasn't going to go there.

"I was feeling pretty bored too. Mira suggested that I take a job," said Juvia. She brought her wrists up to rest on the table, revealing the piece of paper she had clasped in her hands. "I thought I'd ask if you wanted to come along."

Gray hesitated. "It's not a hundred-year quest is it?" he asked warily.

"I picked an easy one. It probably won't take more than a day or two," Juvia reassured him.

Gray regarded the Water Mage carefully. There was a time when he would have declined without a second thought. Of course, that was back when Juvia would have thrown herself at him and followed him around Magnolia like a lost puppy.

But at the moment, Juvia wasn't in full-on fangirl mode. If anything, she seemed perfectly calm and completely composed. So really, there was no reason not to consider it, at the very least.

"Lemme see," he said. He waved for her to hand over the paper.

Juvia slid it across the table, the slightest sparkle of hope in her eyes.

Gray's eyes raked across the text briefly. It was a path clearing job. All they would need to do was follow the East Forest Path from Onibus to Hargeon, clearing the trail of any monsters they found. Seemed simple enough. Probably wouldn't take more than a day or two, if that.

He shrugged. "Sure. Why not?" Gray said.

It wasn't like he had anything else planned. And it would be better than sitting around here, for sure. Hopefully there'd be a good fight or two for him to vent his pent-up frustrations.

Juvia's face lit up. "Then Juvia—that is, _I_—will meet you at the train station in an hour."

* * *

**Gray comes off as being kind of whiny at the beginning, but the poor guy's had a disappointing couple of weeks.**

**Then there's Juvia. She's still got the flippy pronouns thing going on, but she's come such a long way since the start of this story.**

**And, yes, in _my_ headcanon, Juvia and Gajeel are definitely BroTP. While I don't recall specific instances of this in the anime (if anything, the anime-only Starry Heavens arc pointed towards the opposite), but I kind of, really want them to be friends. Actually, in some other universe, I'd even consider shipping them. **

**Eek! Yes, I know. This is the wrong place to say that. (lolz.) Half of you are here to see Juvia get with Gray; the other half are here to see her get with Lyon; and a select few brought popcorn and just want to see fireworks. But just bear with me for a sec. (I promise Gajeel isn't in the running in this 'verse. I already endgamed him with Levy.) ****If they were OCs, and not Fairy Tail (TM) characters, I might ship them. ****I think Gajeel's archetype and Juvia's archetype and shared narrative backstory have a lot of potential for romance. It'd just have to be an AU setting or another canon-divergence universe. And here's the best part: (almost) nobody's writing for them. Not hard to be original when you're the only one!~ XD  
**

**Alright. Enough of that. :)**

**Next time, in ****_[Mazeverse] The Beginning, The End, and Everything in Between_, Fairy Tail meets Lamia Scale.**_ "Gray and I are on a job," she said with an eager smile. | "Oh. Is that right?" asked Lyon. Then he turned to look at Sherry. "So are we."_

**Stop back next Friday for the next installment, or just follow me, Karine of R011ingThunder.**


	2. Chance Encounter or Twist of Fate

**Happy Friday! It looks like we've got fans rooting for both sides, so that's exciting. I appreciate the enthusiasm and the energy! I'm a fan of civil discourse and debate, so opposing opinions are very welcome. I think it's one of the best ways to learn something and possibly take on a new paradigm.**

**Through writing Mazeverse, I've come to realize that I have quite a bit of interest in Juvia as a character. I think she's awesome - but not for the reasons you might think. What speaks to me is the fact that she's so horribly polarizing. XD There few characters who elicit such a strong (both positive and negative) response from viewers. Despite the criticisms of Mashima's writing or his approach to certain characters, I believe that he has done something very right. Otherwise, why do these characters stick with us instead of fading into obscurity like so many others have? Despite the complaints about his using a lot of archetypes or not developing certain characters, we're all here. Something about these characters makes us feel, makes us care, makes us hope, makes us laugh and cry and root for their success. And _that's_ interesting to me. It continues to fascinate me with how Juvia (as a character) manages to do that. If I ever figure it out, I'm off to publish original fiction! :)  
**

**We've got a few guest reviews... possibly from the same person, I'm not entirely sure. Sometimes I can tell and I'll try to roll it all together, this time I can't. Thus, I think it's only fair to acknowledge separately.**

**Guest (on_ Call Me Cyrano_, Ch 6****): Glad you liked it! We'll have to see what happens to Toby and Jenny. We haven't #endgamed them quite yet, and there are a couple more challenges that I'd need for them to overcome to demonstrate that they have a chance at being a feasible pair in the real world. As for Lyon... I've commented that a girl isn't going to wait around forever so some of our boys (Gray, Natsu, etc.) will have to step it up if they want a shot. Well, the same applies to the guys; they're not going to wait around forever either! We'll just have to see what this added tension ends up doing for us. Thanks again!  
**

**Guest (on this story, Ch 1): I appreciate both your honesty and your support. You've expressed both in a very graceful way; it's a rare trait indeed! :) When all is said and done (8 chapters from now), you'll have to let me know your thoughts on how it ends. There's a weird story behind how this universe's Juvia came to be. Mazeverse presented an interesting opportunity. I wondered what would happen if I sort of adjusted Juvia's character to give us the best of both worlds. Would it be better? Worse? Would anyone notice? Would it sanitize her beyond recognition? I basically kept the majority of what the pro-Juvia folks consider core to her personality and carefully removed what the anti-Juvia folks take issue with. (Sort of separating Jekyll and Hyde... This is the Dr. Jekyll version of Juvia. If you're wondering what happened to Hyde Juvia, she's going to star in a different story.) Of course, this timeline's Juvia isn't just a sanitized version of her canon counterpart. I let the events in this timeline change her, and that's what we ended up with. Admittedly, I didn't spend quite as much time fixing Levy or Gajeel. Canon didn't leave me with a lot of questions or a desire to explore what was written (though, that has changed in recent months, so I am putting another arc in for them). And I'll definitely have to write us that Gajeel x Juvia at some point! Hope you have a great weekend too!****  
**

**Guest (on _Notice..._ because there's no where else to respond): Well, thank you! I've enjoyed getting to flex my writing muscles and try my and at different ships, so I'm glad you're enjoying. Appreciate the review!**

**\- K. Chandler**

* * *

Juvia was finally on a job with Gray!

And at first, Juvia had been so excited. It was a dream come true! Gray Fullbuster was probably _the_ embodiment of perfection. And now they were working as a team. Just the two of them.

"Absolutely," Gray was saying. "It just can't be beat!"

"I don't know," said Juvia. "I prefer that place in Acalypha."

"But that's so far away," complained Gray.

"But it's entirely worth it," said Juvia. "And they've got a better selection."

"Sure, if that's what you're into."

"And just what are you into?" asked Juvia curiously.

Gray shrugged. "Depends."

"On what?"

"My mood. The day of the week. How much trouble it is to get there," Gray listed. "I dunno. Lots of stuff."

Juvia scrunched her nose. Gray was just so… practical. And not in a good way.

"How can it be your favorite if you're worried about how much work it will take?"

"I think it's worth considering," argued Gray. "Don't tell me that you don't think about what something costs versus how much you think you'll enjoy it."

"If I think I'm going to enjoy it, it doesn't matter what it costs," said Juvia.

"Oh, good grief! So you're the type of person who'll go to the ends of the earth for something silly, like a chocolate bar, say."

"If I want it badly enough, yes," said Juvia.

"O-_kay_…" said Gray, with a lopsided grin.

"What?"

"Nothing." Gray put his hands up. "No judgement."

"Gray…"

"Don't you think that sounds a _little_ unreasonable?" asked Gray.

"No. Do you?" asked Juvia. "There are things you'd fight tooth and nail for, aren't there?"

"Sure, there are things that I'd fight for. There are even things I'd give my life for," admitted Gray. "But most things—and that's like ninety-nine percent of them—aren't worth worrying about."

"You're so unromantic!" protested Juvia, puffing out her cheeks in irritation.

"Sorry, not sorry," laughed Gray. "That's just how I see it."

Juvia laughed too, though it felt a little forced. She and Gray talked about all sorts of things. He was quieter than usual, but he was still a lively conversationalist. He was fun to talk to, clever with a wickedly sharp tongue. But as much as Juvia enjoyed their conversation, something was missing. She didn't feel the thrill of excitement or the passion that she had always imagined.

Even worse, she couldn't explain why it was happening. Normally, she'd blame her dissatisfaction on Gray being too busy to talk to her or having to share his attention with other girls. But today there was no one else. It was just the two of them.

But no, that was silly! This was Gray. And they were alone_._ _Together_. Things would snap into place soon enough. All she had to do was be positive and have faith.

"Hey. What are you spacing out for?" asked Gray. "We're here."

The train had arrived at Onibus Station and Gray had caught her daydreaming. "Coming," she said quickly. She ducked her head to hide her flushing cheeks, following her guildmate hastily.

What a way to start! What would Lyon say?

Lyon... Gray's foster brother had been helping her with Gray since Christmas. He always made time to help her with her problems, and he was surprisingly good with relationship advice. In all honesty, Juvia doubted that she and Gray would have made any progress at all if it hadn't been for Lyon's advice. She really owed him one… Because now she was on a job with Gray!

Juvia sighed, conjuring up the Lamia Scale mage's image in her imagination. Lyon would probably scoff in that lofty way of his. Then he'd make that exasperated face, shaking his head and then tell her to focus. She gave a fond huff, promising to follow the imagined advice to the letter.

"What are you doing here?" Gray's voice brought Juvia back to reality. He sounded irritated.

"I could ask you the same thing, Gray."

That voice! Juvia's head jerked, her eyes wide. "Lyon…" she murmured as her eyes met his. The irony that Juvia had just been thinking about him wasn't lost on her. Her face flushed with embarrassment.

Surprise flitted across Lyon's face. "Hello, Juvia. What a surprise," he remarked. The Lamia Scale mage looked like he always did, confident and collected.

"What are the odds?" chirped Lyon's teammate. Sherry, was it? "It must be _love_!" she gushed.

Lyon snorted. "Everything's love with you."

Juvia didn't bother asking what that meant. But from Gray's puzzled frown, she could tell she wasn't the only one confused.

"What brings you all the way out here?" asked Lyon asked them.

"Gray and I are on a job," she said with an eager smile.

"Oh. Is that right?" asked Lyon. He sounded bored, but he flashed her a knowing smile, his dark eyes meeting hers. Then he turned to look at Sherry. "So are we."

"The East Forest Path job," supplied Sherry.

"Wait a minute," interrupted Gray. His lips pulled down in a frown. "That can't be right."

"And why's that?" asked Lyon.

"That's the one we're doing!" said Gray.

Sherry and Juvia exchanged looks. Sherry held up their job posting as Juvia pulled hers from her pocket.

"They're identical…" said Sherry.

"They must have posted it in both guilds," mused Juvia.

"It _does_ make sense," said Lyon. "After all, Fairy Tail is one of the strongest guilds in Fiore. Almost as strong as Lamia Scale."

"What was that?!" growled Gray.

"I didn't realize you were hard of hearing. Did you want me to say it again?" Lyon asked smugly. He seemed to enjoy frustrating Gray.

"I'm not hard of hearing! You're the old guy here," snapped Gray.

Lyon gave an exasperated sigh. "I do have seven years on you, I admit. But I would expect you to not carry on like a child."

"Excuse me?!"

Sherry stepped around her teammate to stand next to Juvia. "Here they go," she sighed. "Where's the _love_?"

Juvia giggled. "Juvia was just thinking that they look like a couple…."

"Hm?" Sherry tilted her head, eyes on their arguing partners. "Eh, I don't see it," she said.

"No, not like _that_." Juvia shook her head. "But they fight like it. They may not say so, but they do care about each other," Juvia insisted.

How many times had she seen Gray talk about Lyon with that proud look in his eye? Gray had a lot of admiration for his almost-brother, though he'd surely deny it. And despite all his bluster, Lyon definitely cared about Gray. He was far too protective of the younger Ice Mage for it to be coincidence. If only they weren't both too stubborn to admit it…

"Sure… If you say so," said Sherry. "I'm Sherry, by the way."

Juvia nodded. "I guessed that. Lyon told me about you. My name's Juvia."

An odd look shadowed Sherry's face, but it was quickly replaced with a smile. "I thought that was you! Believe it or not, he talks about you too," said Sherry.

"H-he does?" asked Juvia. That surprised Juvia a little. Although, it was probably natural that Lyon would have to say _something_ about her to his friends. He did spend quite a lot of time helping her, after all.

"More than you think," said Sherry with a nod.

"It's a Fairy Tail job that Juvia and I are taking!"

"As if _you'd_ be able to handle it. You should sit this one out and let Lamia Scale take care of things."

"Forget it!"

"I honestly don't see what they're fighting about. Couldn't we all go together?" Juvia asked Sherry.

Sherry shrugged. "That would make the most sense, wouldn't it?" she sighed. "You're fighting over who gets to clear a path? This isn't _love_, Lyon," she shouted. "Juvia and I are about to finish this job ourselves…"

"Nonsense. You wouldn't do that."

"Wouldn't we?" asked Sherry.

Gray bristled. "Forget this crap! Come on, Juvia. Let's get out of here! We have a job to do," said Gray. He grabbed her hand, dragging her away.

Juvia felt the heat rise to her cheeks as Gray's fingers tightened around hers. She and Gray were holding hands! Today was getting better and better!

Of course, she owed her sudden fortune to Lyon. Had he planned that? It would be just like him.

Juvia glanced at him over her shoulder at Lyon, but what she saw wasn't the smug smirk she was expecting or even that perceptive smile he had given her earlier. Lyon's face had tightened into an expression she couldn't quite decipher.

* * *

****Well, that's one way to get Gray to move.****

****Although... somebody's acting a little bit chilly. If you're a long-time Mazeverse reader, trying to follow the Lyvia subplot, and you're confused by this sudden about-face from Lyon, I will recommend that you read the last chapter of _Call Me Cyrano_, if you missed it. Lyon plays a very small part in that story, but what he does in the epilogue is pretty telling and helps to explain the weirdness here.  
****

****And if you're playing catch-up, and wondering about Sherry-who will be a very important character in this story, reference either _Matchmaker, Heartbreaker, Total Sucker_ Chapter 2 (for a light-hearted take) or _Under the Weather_ Chapter 5 (for a deeper look).****

**Next time, in ****_[Mazeverse] The Beginning, The End, and Everything in Between:_** _Juvia's eyes widened, bolting towards the sound of his voice with Sherry right behind her. Lyon was even faster, streaking past both girls as he rushed to his brother's aid._

**Stop back next Friday for the next installment, or just follow me, Karine of R011ingThunder.**


	3. Between a Rock and a Hard Place

**Happy Friday! I'm really excited about this week's chapter. It's a fun one! :)**

**I don't know if anyone has noticed, but this setup purposely parallels the Lyon & Gray episode of Key of the Starry Sky arc in the anime. I was plotting Mazeverse while I was watching the Tenrou arc (for the first time ever), so a lot of early Mazeverse deals mostly with Pre-Tenrou information. As I continued to watch, I was plotting in parallel: how would this work in Mazeverse (with all the other changes that I've made). When I saw Lyon crash Gray and Juvia's excursion in the Key arc, I knew I had to do a Mazeverse take on it! (I love both our boys, and getting to praise and mock them both in equal measure was a blast!) I know Key was just a filler arc, but I felt like the creators could have had a lot more fun than they did. So hopefully we'll get that today! :)  
**

**Guest: Glad to see we have Grayza fans hanging out with us too! Don't worry. My goal is for everybody to find happiness, though some may need to look in unexpected places and others will take longer than the rest. :) My bonus goal is to pull things together and connect everyone (not just FT guild... _everyone_) so that they're one, big extended family! Thanks for reviewing!**

**\- K. Chandler**

* * *

And that was how two Fairy Tail wizards and two mages from Lamia Scale ended up on the same mission.

As much as Juvia had never imagined that she and Gray would finally take a job together, she was even more surprised that they ended up taking that job with Lyon. It was the first time she had seen both brothers in the same place, at the same time.

"We totally got gypped," grumbled Gray. He crossed his arms indignantly. "The job request did _not_ say anything about wandering around in the forest with you idiots."

"Stop whining," said Lyon. "You sound like a child."

"I am not whining," said Gray. "I'm just pointing out the fact that this is _not_ what I signed up for."

"If it bothers you so much, it's not too late to quit." Lyon's dark eyes sparked with challenge as he teased his brother.

"Not on your life," Gray growled, hissing when Lyon shot him a superior smirk.

"Personally, I think it's a lovely day for a walk," Juvia declared, hoping to settle things.

"Juvia's right," said Lyon. "We certainly couldn't ask for better weather."

Gray rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah," he snorted.

"Just because you're out of sorts doesn't mean you need to take it out on the rest of us," Lyon reminded him.

"I am not out of sorts," hissed Gray.

"No, you're just _sulking_," commented Lyon.

Juvia blinked in surprise. She hadn't noticed until Lyon mentioned it. Gray had been in a sour mood, even when she caught him in the guild this morning. She wondered why she hadn't picked up on it sooner.

"Come on, Gray. We should make the best of it!" she said brightly. Juvia wrapped herself around Gray's arm. Gray stiffened at the sudden contact, tensing for a moment before relaxing.

Juvia's stomach tightened in anticipation of the high that always followed when Gray was around.

It never came.

Gray was so _close_. But he made no move to get any closer. He didn't throw a strong arm around her and pull her to his chest and whisper sweet words in her ear like she imagined he would have.

But he didn't push her away either. He didn't struggle or squirm or look uncomfortable.

"I said 'okay' already, didn't I?" he sighed. "Come on."

Juvia let go of Gray, following him silently. She frowned to herself. She wasn't sure what surprised her more: Gray's lack of reaction or her own. Could she have… _imagined_ the whole thing?

Of course, not! No, this was probably just a fluke.

The trees thickened as the mages ventured deeper into the East Forest. A low keening sounded in the distance.

Juvia jumped, a shudder creeping up her spine. She latched onto Gray again.

"What's the matter?" asked Lyon.

"Did anybody else hear that?" asked Juvia timidly, her heart drumming against her ribs.

"Hear what?" Lyon frowned.

Gray paused for a moment, listening. Then he gave her a skeptical look. "I think you're imagining things again," he said. This time, he _did _pull himself from her grasp.

"No, I hear it too," said Sherry. Her blue eyes darted, seeking the source of that inhuman wail. "Where is it coming from?"

Another cry. Louder this time. Juvia's breath hitched.

"Even _you_ couldn't have missed that, Gray," said Lyon.

Gray's lips pressed into a thin line. He pulled away from the group cautiously, his hands ready to mold. "I'm going to check it out," he said.

"Be careful, Gray," said Lyon.

"You just worry about yourself," said Gray. Though his tone was flippant, Juvia could see the wary tension in Gray's shoulders. He ventured towards the sound, his movements cautious.

"Shouldn't somebody go with him?" Juvia asked.

Sherry brought her hands up, readying her magic as well. She started to follow Gray, but Lyon put a hand on her elbow, pulling her back.

"It's safer if the rest of us stay together," said Lyon. "We still don't know what's out there."

"Aren't you worried about him?" asked Sherry.

Lyon gave a wry smile. "Gray can handle himself," he said. "Besides, I think he'll be offended if we barge in on his fight like we don't trust him."

Lyon knew Gray so well. Juvia would never have thought of that herself. Normally, she was more worried about how she wanted to express her feelings, but maybe she should start paying more attention about how the other person would receive it.

Juvia strained her ears for any clue of how her guildmate was doing. She wished she had Gajee's hearing.

How long had it been since Gray disappeared amongst the trees? A minute? Ten? Juvia couldn't tell.

"Maybe we should check on him," said Sherry. "It's been a while, hasn't it?" She chewed on her lower lip, wringing her hands helplessly.

Lyon shook his head. "Wait." A worried frown twisted his features. He pressed his hands together as if preparing for battle.

"_Ice-Make: Lance!_" Gray's voice echoed through the forest.

Juvia's eyes widened, bolting towards the sound of his voice with Sherry right behind her. Lyon was even faster, streaking past both girls as he rushed to his brother's aid.

A snarling creature towered above Gray, leering with soulless eyes. Hairy and green, it reminded Juvia of a giant ape, if not for its pointed ears and teeth sharp as scalpels.

"A Vulcan?!" gasped Sherry. "Here in the forest?"

"Gorian," corrected Juvia automatically. Gorians weren't uncommon in the East Forest. "Juvia takes it there aren't any near Margaret Town?" she asked.

Sherry shook her head. "The only time we've ever seen Vulcans is when we're on a job on Mount Hakobe or something." She shuddered, looking around anxiously. She craned her neck as if trying to see through the trees.

"Juvia doubts there is more than one," she said reassuringly. "They're typically alone."

Lyon brought his hands together. "_Ice-Make: Snow—_"

"Back off, man! I got this," shouted Gray. "Get your own monster!" Gray was as confident as he was capable. He leapt out of the way as the Gorian swung a massive fist at him, harpoons of ice spurting from his fingers.

"You're sure?" asked Lyon.

"Of course, I'm sure," said Gray. "This is just a little warm-up. I've been itching for a fight today," Gray admitted with a grin. "Guess I'm in luck."

Gray parried the Gorian with clean, fluid motions, holding the monster at bay without difficulty. It should have been a short fight. Juvia had seen Gray face stronger opponents. But as the fight drew on, Gray seemed no closer to winning.

"Ice-Make: Geyser!" Gray shouted, letting his ice envelope the creature's foot. But only thing he'd accomplished was provoking the Gorian into flinging branches and clods of dirt and stone.

"Watch it!" barked Lyon as a shower of debris came flying their way.

Gray grunted in response, not missing a beat as he dodged, unleashing his ice saucer while he was in midair. He dodged again, rocks as large of his head whizzing around him.

"What is he doing?" muttered Lyon, shaking his head. A worried frown creased his features. "Why doesn't he just finish it off already?"

Sherry ran an agitated hand through her hair. "Quit worrying, Lyon. If you keep this up, you'll give yourself wrinkles, and that just wouldn't be _love_!" Though her tone was light, she looked as troubled as he did.

"You've had a bad Vulcan experience?" guessed Juvia.

"Do you know anyone who's had a good one?" he asked darkly.

Juvia squeezed his shoulder. "Lyon. You said it earlier. Gray can handle himself," she said.

Except he _wasn't_ handling himself. Every time he came close to dealing the final blow, he'd make some sort of mistake and the monster would gain the upper hand. After his third near-miss, there was no doubt that Gray was doing it on purpose.

"That fool." Lyon scowled, crossing his arms. "He's _playing_ with it!"

"Go get him, Gray!" cheered Juvia. "You can do it!"

"You have so much faith in him." Lyon's expression was almost impassive, save for a wistfulness in his eyes.

"Of course," said Juvia. "It's Gray."

While it was true that Gray was capable and strong— he _was_ a wizard from Fairy Tail, after all—that had nothing to do with her unshakable confidence in him.

Though she had always had a lot of admiration for him, Juvia had grown to trust Gray, implicitly. She trusted all of her Fairy Tail guildmates. Since she had joined the guild, Fairy Tail had welcomed her. They'd become her family. And she loved each and every one of them. In fact—

"_Juvia_! Move!" Lyon's desperate shout snapped her from her daydream.

Juvia barely registered the wayward boulder hurtling toward her before a blur of bright blue filled her vision. Lyon tackled her out of the way, his arms around her as they slammed into the ground. The impact sent a jolt through her spine.

Lyon's right hand shot skyward, an ice shield springing from his fingers. The chill of Ice-Make magic made Juvia's skin prickle.

_Cra-crack!_

Lyon's shield splintered as stone met ice. Juvia flinched, her heart pounding as the sky rained gravel and hail around them. But Lyon hovered unfalteringly above her, protecting her from the worst of the incoming debris by shielding her body with his own, until the world around them stilled.

Sherry shrieked their names. Gray cursed, shouting an apology. They sounded far away. So very far away.

And Lyon was so very, very _close_.

"Lyon?" breathed Juvia, still too shaken to manage more than that. He and Sherry had managed to get out of the way, but Juvia hadn't even _seen_ the boulder coming. She would never have been able to use her Water Body in time to protect herself. The thought made her dizzy.

"You're all right?" he panted. Emotions warred in his dark eyes. Fear. Anxiety. Worry.

"…y-yes." Had his eyes always been so expressive? Juvia had never noticed before. Her pulse thundered in her ears.

"Thank God," he sighed, sagging as relief drained him of his strength. Lyon lowered the remnants of a battered ice shield, letting his weight fall to both trembling arms.

"What about you?" she asked. "You aren't hurt, are you?" she asked, reaching up to brush the gravel from his shoulders.

Lyon shook his head, his face inches from hers. "Fine. I just… I need a moment," he breathed, his chest still heaving.

And for a moment, they stayed like that as Lyon tried to calm himself.

"Juvie…" choked Lyon.

"Y-yes?" she whispered. The scent he wore, woody with a hint of spice, made her face grow warm.

But Lyon tore his eyes away, shaking his head as if to clear it. "…I'm glad you're all right," he said stiffly. He forced himself to his feet before offering her a hand. His face was turned away from her, as if he were avoiding her eyes.

"Lyon! Juvia! Are you two okay?" asked Sherry, her blue eyes wide and frantic.

"We're both fine," he told Sherry. "No need to worry."

"Oh, thank goodness!" cried Sherry. "Have I ever told you how incredibly reckless you are, Lyon?" she demanded.

"Hm. You might have mentioned it once or twice." A wry smile tugged at his lips as he brushed himself off, gravel falling from the folds of his clothing. "But _I_ wasn't the one playing tag with the Gorian," he added, shooting Gray a stern look.

Gray, who had finally disposed of the creature, shot them a guilty glance. "Sorry, guys. My bad." He gave an awkward chuckle, rubbing the back of his head.

"That _was_ rather reckless. It was almost worthy of Natsu," Juvia found herself saying.

Shocked, Juvia clamped her mouth shut. Was she chastising Gray? That wasn't right. Gray was perfection itself. Shouldn't he have been above rebuke?

Gray didn't seem to mind. "Hey! Don't compare me to that idiot," he complained.

Lyon shook his head. "No harm done. All is forgiven," he declared.

"I don't want your forgiveness!" yelped Gray.

"Too bad." Lyon looked vaguely superior as he started to walk away. "Come on, we're wasting daylight."

Gray growled, stomping after him. "Why do you always have to come off as the bigger person?"

"Because I am."

"That's not _love_, guys," complained Sherry, falling into step next to Juvia. "Honestly…"

* * *

**This one may not be quite as open-and-shut as we had thought.  
**

**Next time, in ****_[Mazeverse] The Beginning, The End, and Everything in Between_, the group makes camp, and Juvia comes to a realization. (Not _the_ realization, but an important one nonetheless.)**

**Stop back next Friday for the next installment, or just follow me, Karine of R011ingThunder.**


	4. Choices

**Happy Friday!  
**

**With points on both sides, it's still anybody's game! XD Juvia makes her decision in 8, so we're half way through, sort of. After that, we'll spend a couple of chapters considering what this means for our boys and their relationship, Juvia's continued relationship with the other person, as well as getting a bit of a reaction from the guild.**

**Also, for anyone who checked _Anniversary_ for endgame spoilers: it occurred to me that my hint (from earlier) might be misleading, so I'm issuing a correction. Endgame is the other character in the chapter, not the chapter title. And that's all I'm saying about that. (Hopefully nobody came away from it with the wrong impression, but just in case...) :)**

**\- K. Chandler**

* * *

Their fire crackled and danced, sending up little puffs of ash.

They had set up camp for the night as the sun went down. The two Ice-Make brothers bickered as they competed to see who could get a blaze going first. Juvia wasn't quite sure who won that one. They both proved to be equally useless. But Juvia had no room to complain. With a body made up of water, she had been no help either. Actually, she had only made things worse. Thankfully, Sherry stepped in and eventually they managed to get a fire started.

"Brr, it's freezing out here!" complained Sherry, leaning closer to the fire.

Lyon nodded in agreement before turning towards Juvia. "It's certainly crisp tonight. Are you cold?" His dark eyes sparked with a gentle warmth that Juvia had never noticed before. Yet the expression wasn't unfamiliar. Had it always been there?

If it had, she'd must have missed it. Actually, she had never noticed anyone other than Gray. Juvia's stomach gave a guilty flip.

"I'm fine. Don't worry," she said, giving him a small smile. Juvia almost always dressed in layers, so she was prepared for all but the worst inclement weather.

"Are you sure? If you'd like, you can have my cloak. I don't mind," he offered.

Juvia shook her head, feeling shy.

It was strange. She couldn't explain the nervousness. She and Lyon were good friends! They talked often, and she could tell him anything. She had never been nervous around him before. But, it almost felt like she was seeing Lyon for the first time.

That was a confusing thought.

"_I_ happen to be cold, Lyon," said Sherry reproachfully. "It wouldn't hurt to remember your own teammate, you know. That's called _love_."

"I told you that you should have worn a sweater," said Lyon, sounding entirely unsympathetic.

"What business is it of yours what I wear?" complained Sherry.

"It is, if you're going to be demanding my clothes," said Lyon.

"You say it like it's an unreasonable thing to ask," said Sherry.

"Isn't it?"

Gray cut him off with an impatient tut.

"Sorry. He can be kind of a jerk sometimes," Gray told Sherry. "Here. You can have mine." A blur of white shot across their campsite. Gray had flung his coat unceremoniously at Sherry.

"Thank you, Gray," said Sherry. "At least _somebody_ remembers their manners." She sniffed disdainfully, giving Lyon a pointed look.

Gray shrugged. "It's cool. Wasn't planning on wearing it anyways," he said.

Juvia felt her lips curve into a fond smile as she shook her head in exasperation. That was classic Gray for you, practical and clueless. Practically clueless, too.

Sherry wrapped herself in Gray's jacket, pulling it tight around her shoulders. "That's better," she said. "See, that's _love_."

Surprisingly, Juvia felt no ire towards the other girl. No jealousy. No regret. No remorse.

She felt… nothing.

This wasn't normal, was it? Shouldn't she have felt at least a little annoyed?

Over and over, her memories were drawn back to Lyon instead. The frantic way he had rushed to her rescue. His quick thinking in casting that shield. And that _look_ on his face, his complete and utter relief when she told him that she was fine.

Lyon's eyes were rather like water, Juvia decided. There was only a subtle sharpness at the surface, but beneath, emotions raged like the waves.

"Juvia?" Lyon looked her expectantly.

"Hm?" Juvia squirmed, embarrassed to be caught daydreaming… about his _eyes_ of all things! "Sorry, what were you saying?"

"And she's in her own little world again," commented Gray.

"That must be _love_!" crooned Sherry.

"Huh? That didn't make any sense," Gray told her.

"That's because you don't understand _love_!" declared Sherry.

Juvia giggled. "I don't know what's funnier," she whispered to Lyon. "Watching you and Gray fight or watching those two have at it. You Lamias are such a rowdy bunch."

"This coming from the girl from Fairy Tail, of all people?" asked Lyon, amused. "Besides, who's the common denominator here? It's that idiot."

"Be nice, Lyon," said Juvia.

"I'm just stating the facts," said Lyon. "I think he's an idiot. And I think he causes more trouble than he's worth."

"I think that's an _opinion_. And that's enough of that," Juvia laughed, stretching her arms above her head. "It's been a long day and I think it's time for bed. Are you guys coming?"

"Someone should stay up and keep watch," said Gray.

"He's right, much as it pains me to admit it," said Lyon. "I'll take first watch."

"You sure about that?" asked Gray. "We can flip a coin for it if you want."

"Don't worry about it," said Lyon. "I'll do it."

"Whatever, man. Wake me up if you want to switch or something," Gray was saying as Juvia went to roll out her sleeping bag.

Juvia picked a spot near the fire, but just couldn't get comfortable. Thoughts cluttered her brain like the clouds marring the velvet dark of the night sky.

She could hear a whispered conversation between her friends before Gray and Sherry lay out their sleeping bags next to hers. And soon, they both dropped to sleep.

Juvia sighed, rolling onto her side.

Gray snored next to her, wearing nothing but a pair of jeans. He'd loosened up enough that he was comfortable falling asleep in front of her, without a shirt, even!

There was a time when Juvia would have stared. And for good reason. Shirtless Gray was what dreams were made of. _Her_ dreams, at any rate. And probably the dreams of every other girl in Magnolia, quite possibly every girl in Fiore. But most definitely all the female mages in Fairy Tail.

Juvia smiled fondly. Yes, there was once a time, not so long ago, when Juvia would have stared. Back then, Gray would have dozed with one eye open. And she would have waited with bated breath for his acknowledgement. How far they'd come since then!

But she wasn't waiting now. She was her own person, with or without Gray.

Gray…

She'd rather be with him, than without him, of course. But that was beside the point. She still _wanted_ him, but she didn't _need_ him. She wasn't at Gray's mercy to decide if she was worthy of his attention. Not anymore. Her self-worth came from a place far less capricious.

That knowledge made her feel strong. Powerful. Independent.

And of course, it was all thanks to Lyon.

Lyon…

Juvia rolled onto her back again, resisting the urge to groan as _his_ face appeared in her mind's eye. Now she _really_ wouldn't be able to sleep.

* * *

**This. This is the place that I've always wanted to see Juvia get to. A lot of Juvia fans praise her for being strong and awesome she is; I don't know that Juvia, herself, agrees. I don't sense a lot of self-confidence or self-love from her. If you think about her backstory of being shunned by her peers over her powers and then not being able to control those powers, she likely felt very unloved and powerless (no pun intended). She probably didn't feel strong or awesome. I don't think she liked herself. Then Gray came along. Juvia credits him with stopping the rain. She joined Fairy Tail and her life started to take a positive turn. Since Gray was the catalyst, I think Juvia credits him for all the positive change in her life. There are even times when I suspect that Juvia attributes her own self-worth to Gray, as if his liking her would make her worthy of being liked. ****I know all of that is just my interpretation, and that there are other explanations, but in Mazeverse, I wanted to see what Juvia would look like without that burden. I wanted her to love herself. :)  
**

**If you want to compare and contrast, Mirajane is another character who was shunned because of her powers. She handles the situation differently, partly because she has family (her siblings and all of her found-family in FT guild). **

**Ironically, for as much as we discuss it, I don't know that Gray vs Lyon has ever been a thing in Juvia's head, even canonically. (Especially canonically?) I'd like to point out the notable first. For Juvia, it's always been Gray; I don't think she's looked any further than that. Even in this universe, though they get along well enough, Lyon has only ever been her rock. Her safe place to go and person to lean on when she can't figure Gray out. It's probably never occurred to her to compare (they're not in the same league, as far as she's concerned.. she's dismissed the idea any time her thoughts started to veer in that direction) until now... when they're both in front of her. This is probably the first time she's even considered that Lyon might be an option at all.  
**

**Next time, in ****_[Mazeverse] The Beginning, The End, and Everything in Between_... some familiar words. ** _He was going too far and he knew it. He needed to stop this. To end it before somebody got hurt._

**Stop back next Friday for the next installment, or just follow me, Karine of R011ingThunder.**


	5. Falling In Love is Easy

**Happy Friday! We've seen Gray's perspective in the beginning. We've had a few chapters in Juvia's PoV, so we know where she stands. But what about Lyon?  
**

**\- K. Chandler**

* * *

Lyon watched over the others as they slept. He'd suspected that he would have a hard time settling into slumber, so he had offered to take first watch.

The others had rolled out their sleeping bags and settled in for the night.

Sherry had been the first to drift into slumber. She had been the last one in bed, staying to nag him about Juvia before deeming it a lost cause. She had fallen asleep as soon as she had crawled into her sleeping bag. But that was no surprise. She was usually up when the sun rose, so she always kept an early bedtime.

Gray dozed off next. He had shot Juvia a wary look before shrugging, stripping off his shirt and settling down for the night as well.

But Juvia dozed fitfully, tossing and turning. After a while, it was obvious she wasn't actually asleep, at all. Even from this distance, Lyon could tell that her eyes were open. She was turned on her side, facing Gray, a soft expression gracing her features. She was probably enjoying the view.

Lyon bit back a dry smile. He was watching Juvia. Juvia was watching Gray. And Gray was oblivious to all of it. How ironic.

He clenched his jaw, tearing his eyes away.

This was _wrong_. He wasn't supposed to be doing this.

He had sworn to himself that he would help Gray and Juvia find their happiness. That would be enough for him. But when he said he wanted to see them together, he hadn't planned on actually _seeing_ them together. He knew it was wrong, but sometimes he just wanted to be selfish.

Lyon felt that familiar pull in his chest, the one that left his tongue dry and made it hard to draw a full breath. He sighed, dropping his head into his palm.

Lyon couldn't deny that there was some small part of him that still held out hope that Juvia would acknowledge, and perhaps even come to accept, his feelings for her. But it was a fool's hope. Something that would never happen.

He was going too far, and he knew it. He needed to stop this. To end it before somebody got hurt.

Ah, but how many times had he promised himself that? Self-control was so much easier when Juvia wasn't ten feet away.

"Are you okay?"

Lyon lifted his head, surprised to find the Water Mage standing before him. He blinked, his eyes flickering to her now-empty sleeping bag. No, he wasn't seeing things. She was really here.

"Juvia," said Lyon. He forced himself to smile. "What are you doing up?"

"Couldn't sleep," she said, sitting down beside him. She frowned, surveying him carefully. "You look like your head hurts. You're not coming down with another cold, are you?" she asked anxiously.

"I'm fine. Don't worry about me," he said, turning away from her.

He couldn't look at her right now. He knew what he would see if he looked. Her eyes, like the water she wielded, would be reflecting starlight. Her hands, surprisingly small for one so powerful, would be playing with her skirt. But her heart, once shattered and now mended, would be entirely devoted to Gray.

So near, and yet so far. That was always the case for them, though, wasn't it? She would never be his, and Lyon knew that. Accepting it hurt more than he had expected.

"I never thanked you for rescuing me earlier," she said, her eyes wide and earnest. She reached up to tug at one of her curls, twisting it around her finger. "You saved my life."

"No need to be so dramatic," said Lyon. "I spared you a trip to the hospital, at best."

"But, still. You willingly put yourself in harm's way to protect me," protested Juvia.

The truth was, it hadn't been a matter of willingness. In that moment, he hadn't really thought about it. How could he? The rock was moving right towards Juvia, and she would have been badly injured if he hadn't acted.

So, he acted… acted _without thinking_. How incredibly reckless of him. But Juvia had always brought out his impulsive side.

"We _are_ teammates, at least until we finish this job," said Lyon. "It's natural to look out for each other."

"Maybe so," said Juvia. "You could have gotten hurt! That could just as easily have been _your_ trip to the hospital!"

"Have you so little faith in my abilities?" snorted Lyon, jaw clenched.

"It's not a matter of your abilities. You're… important to me," said Juvia. "And to Gray," she added quickly. "Do you even know what we would have done if you had gotten seriously hurt?"

"Juvia, I…" Lyon paused, his breath catching in his chest. He shook his head, words getting stuck in his throat.

What exactly was he about to say? That he still loved her? That he always would?

"What?" Juvia blinked at him curiously, dark lashes framing wide, blue eyes.

They were so close that their knees were almost touching. There were so many things that he wanted to say. So many things he _couldn't_ say—things he _wouldn't_ say. The air felt heavy.

If things had been different… He'd give in to his impulse and promise to treat her like the queen she deserved to be. He'd steal her away to Lamia Scale and do everything in his power to make her the happiest woman in the world. He'd love and cherish her like Gray never could.

But Juvia wasn't some chew toy for him and Gray to fight over. They needed to respect her feelings. And she had made her feelings perfectly clear. With the way she had latched onto Gray this afternoon, there was no mistaking it.

She had made her choice. But Lyon was never really in the running, was he? No, it had always been Gray.

It was inappropriate to allow this to continue. He would take it no further.

"…Never mind. It's nothing." Lyon dropped his eyes. "I'm glad you're safe."

Juvia laughed softly, bumping him with her shoulder. "I'm glad I can make you glad," she said.

Lyon hummed his agreement.

They were friends. _Just_ friends. They'd always be friends.

"Say, Lyon… I was wondering if I could ask you a question…"

Lyon debated turning her down. He was done with this. He was done answering relationship questions and setting people up. He was no matchmaker.

But then he caught sight of Juvia, waiting eagerly for his approval.

"…Ask away," he said finally. The earnest look in Juvia's eyes made it impossible to deny her request.

"Have you… have you ever been in love?" asked Juvia.

Lyon froze, his eyes widening. Was _she_ seriously asking _him_ that? It was almost cruel. Of course, Juvia had never been the most perceptive.

Lyon let out a heavy sigh. "I'd have to be heartless to have reached my age and never have fallen in love even once," he said. "Why?"

"What was it like?" asked Juvia.

"Falling in love or being loved?" asked Lyon.

"Is there a difference?" asked Juvia.

"Absolutely. Being loved is when the other person's only wish is to see you smile."

"That's sweet," said Juvia, the corners of her mouth turning upwards.

"Falling in love is just what it sounds like. It's like the ground disappears from under you, and it feels you could fly. It's exciting and it's frightening and your heart pounds so hard you think it might burst. You wake up in the morning, wondering if you'll get to hear their voice today and you dream about things that would make them happy."

"That sounds familiar," said Juvia, relaxing a little. "But why isn't that the same thing?"

"Because you're not flying, not even remotely. Falling is something you have no control over. You couldn't stop, even if you wanted to. Of course, who ever does? The question becomes what happens after the fall," he said.

"What do you mean?" asked Juvia.

"Falling is easy; it's the landing that's hard. Do you have some you trust to catch you on the other side? Or will you slam painfully into the ground as your heart shatters in your chest?" he asked darkly. "There are no guarantees in love."

"You're teasing me again…" said Juvia, chuckling. "You're just trying to scare me, right?"

Lyon didn't smile. "No, I'm afraid I'm not," he said. "You wanted the truth and there it is."

Juvia's merriment faded. She surveyed him with wide eyes, her head tilting to the side.

"Was there something else?" asked Lyon.

"Just one more question," said Juvia. "This one's important, so make sure you're honest with me."

Lyon nodded, swallowing hard. "Go on," he said softly. "I'll answer as well as I can."

"You don't seem yourself today," she said. "…Are you _sure_ that you're all right?" she asked.

Of all the times for her to be perceptive.

"I apologize for being a cynic," he said. "You've caught me on a bad day. I imagine that wasn't the most helpful response."

"What's wrong? You promised you'd answer honestly," she reminded him.

A weary sigh escaped him. "I'm… just tired," Lyon said, dragging a hand over his face. "That idiot, Gray, wears me out. But never mind that. What was your last question?"

"That _was_ my last question," said Juvia, frowning. "Why don't you get some rest? I can keep watch for a while."

"Juvia, I…" Lyon shook his head. He couldn't ask her to do that.

Besides, part of him wanted her to stay. He wanted to ask if he could sit by her side and watch the stars. To talk of the past and of the future, of her hopes and her fears. To make her smile.

But the other part of him knew better. He wasn't _that_ much of a masochist. Enough was enough.

He _was_ tired. Tired of being disappointed. Tired of coming face to face with the truth.

"…I think I'll take you up on that," he said softly. "Thanks."

* * *

**Oh, geez... You know, given last week's chapter, if Lyon had asked her to stay and talk, Juvia probably would have said yes. But these two just aren't in sync tonight. (Where would be the fun in that? XD)**

**Next time, in ****_[Mazeverse] The Beginning, The End, and Everything in Between_, the boys go head-to-head.** _"I didn't want to do this, but you've forced my hand. Let's see who the superior student is, Gray," drawled Lyon. / __"Oh, we'll see. I'm winning this round," said Gray, his expression stormy._

**Stop back next Friday for the next installment, or just follow me, Karine of R011ingThunder.**


	6. Short Straw, Last Straw

**Happy Friday!  
**

**Volcomix13: Thanks so much! - you really made my day! :) We'll have to see where she ends up. Just bear with me a little while longer (and hold on tight!) We're getting close. (Sorry, that wasn't meant to be a trolling answer, so hopefully it doesn't come across that way. :) I figured that you probably weren't looking for spoilers, since I had hints up for those who wanted spoiled.) I appreciate the support!**

**\- K. Chandler**

* * *

The next day was hot and grey. A layer of clouds provided relief from the sun's unrelenting heat, but it wasn't so much the heat that was the problem. It was the humidity that put everyone in sour spirits.

Juvia wasn't too bothered by it, though. After all, what was a little more water? But Sherry wasn't so lucky. She looked like she was melting, her long hair falling limply around her face, strands sticking to her forehead.

Gray, on the other hand, had long since lost his shirt. Surprisingly, Lyon hadn't. Granted, he was less of an exhibitionist than his brother, but this weather would more than excuse that.

It put Sherry in full-on mother hen mode. "I think Gray might be the smart one here. Lyon, you're going to get overheated if you keep this up. Do you really have to wear that?"

Lyon looked vaguely amused. "What business is it of yours what I wear?" he drawled.

Sherry bristled as she recognized her own words being thrown back at her. "It is if you pass out and I have to haul you all the way back to Lamia Scale!"

"Good thing I wasn't planning on doing that then. It sounds like a terrible idea," he said wryly.

"Lyon! Be serious," she scolded.

"I _am_ serious. Though if I do plan on inconveniencing you, I'll be sure to wait until we're closer to home. I think that sounds like an acceptable compromise, don't you?"

Lyon just laughed as Sherry grumbled at him.

Lyon had a nice laugh, heartfelt and genuine. Juvia had never noticed before, but something about it made Juvia feel warm on the inside. Maybe that was why she enjoyed teasing him so much.

"Could it get any hotter? How much longer?" asked Gray. He was as cranky as he had been the night before. "I just want to be done with this stupid mission and get outta here."

"We're close," said Lyon.

"And how do you know that?" asked Gray.

"It's called a map," said Lyon. "We should reach Hargeon before sundown," he added.

"Whatever. I'm going on ahead," said Gray.

"Stay close," said Lyon. "We don't want to get separated."

"Yeah, yeah," Gray called over his shoulder. He didn't look back.

"There he goes again," complained Sherry. "Marching headlong into Lord knows what."

Juvia caught the sideways look Lyon gave her. His brow was slightly furrowed as he watched Gray disappear into the woods.

"Something wrong?" asked Juvia.

Lyon shook his head. "No. Actually, wait—" Lyon's words were cut off by the same eerie wail they had heard yesterday.

Juvia's stomach clenched.

"Not another Vulcan!" said Sherry.

Just like yesterday, the team pressed forth to find Gray, albeit with less urgency this time. And just like yesterday, there was Gray, ice magic at his raised hands. And just like yesterday, there were _Gorians_. Plural, this time. There were at least seven or eight, maybe closer to a dozen.

Gray was surrounded.

"I thought you said Vulcans were solitary creatures," demanded Lyon.

"I was only guessing."

Sherry shook her head. "Everybody needs _love_. Even these things."

"Gray, watch out!" shouted Lyon. He sent a snow leopard bounding towards one of the creatures, knocking it out of the way. He ran after it, taking advantage of the break in the wall of Gorians that encircled his brother.

"Lyon! What are you doing?" shouted Gray.

"What does it look like? I'm rescuing you." Lyon positioned himself next to Gray so the two of them were back-to-back.

"I don't need your help. I was doing just fine," snapped Gray.

"Really, Gray?" Lyon scoffed. "It didn't look that way to me. We don't need a repeat of yesterday's performance."

"Stay outta my fight!"

Sherry transformed a tree into one of her marionettes. "Who says it's _your_ fight?" demanded Sherry. "Why don't you sit back and let us show you how Lamia Scale takes care of things? With _love_!"

"Stay alert," barked Lyon as she rushed to join them.

"Really, man?" mocked Gray. "Can't even take care of a couple of Gorians without the girls?"

Lyon shot him an impatient look. "You couldn't even handle one of them on your own yesterday," said Lyon tersely.

"How many do you think you can take down?" challenged Gray.

"Gray, Lyon… please be reasonable," called Juvia. "This isn't smart."

"You game? Or are you gonna let the girls bail you out?" asked Gray, challenge clear in his voice.

"Have it your way," Lyon sighed, raising a hand to signal Sherry to stop. "Stay back. I'll handle this one."

"What? But why? I thought we were partners!" Sherry wailed.

"We are. And I'll make it up to you. But for now, this is a matter of pride," declared Lyon. "The slight to Lamia Scale cannot be allowed to stand."

"You mean the slight to your ego?" huffed Sherry under her breath. "So not _love_, Lyon!" she shouted as she ushered Juvia a safe distance away. "Leave them be, Juvia," Sherry sighed.

"But aren't you worried?" asked Juvia.

"A little," admitted Sherry, biting her lip. "But we can't interfere. We have let them be idiots and trust them not to take things too far," she sighed.

"I didn't want to do this, but you've forced my hand. Let's see who the superior student is, Gray," drawled Lyon.

"Oh, we'll see. _I'm_ winning this round," said Gray, his expression stormy.

"You're dreaming if you believe that."

As if in practiced synchronization, both men brought their hands together. Ice flew, the glittering shards transforming as each tried to outdo the other with his latest creation. The brothers were so similar, but they were nothing alike.

Gray's ice was cold and impersonal, just like the impenetrable walls he put up to keep people away. He had covered his heart in ice that Juvia would never be able to melt, no matter how much warmth she showed him.

Gray sent a thick saucer of ice whirling towards one of the Vulcans. It knocked one monster off its feet before curving back to clip second monster in the shoulder. "How do you like that?" he sneered.

That was classic Gray. Bold. Confident. Unapologetically cool.

But Juvia wasn't watching him. Her eyes followed Lyon.

Lyon's ice was passionate and _alive_. He knew his mind and worked tirelessly to his goals. He put every bit of himself into everything he did. He was a perfectionist, who spared no expense. And she could see that in his creations.

"Is this really the time?" Lyon's ice serpent loomed over three Gorians, circling, slithering. One of the creatures swiped at it, bellowing as it missed again.

"At least I'm not playing around," said Gray.

"Neither am I," said Lyon. "Ice-Make: Snow Dragon!" Lyon's newest creation shot forward, springing at all three of the distracted beasts. The earth shook as they hit the ground.

"Would ya quit showing off?" complained Gray.

"I'm not showing _off_. I'm showing you _up_," quipped Lyon.

"Lyon's pretty amazing, isn't he?" asked Sherry. She looked at Juvia sideways, the slightest smile pulling at her lips.

"…Yeah," breathed Juvia.

Lyon _was_ pretty amazing, to steal Sherry's words. He might have even been stronger than Gray.

Just like his magic, Lyon was careful and precise, but he could be fierce and passionate. He was loud, but still subtle. He was proud, independent, and a little abrasive, but he was a devoted friend and surprisingly sweet person. Lyon was a walking contradiction. Juvia couldn't help but smile at the thought.

Juvia followed Lyon with her gaze. There was something graceful about the way he moved, an elegance in the deliberate way he summoned his icy creations. He was facing her, so she could see the determination that blazed in his dark eyes. But she could also see what he couldn't.

There was another Gorian coming up behind him, its steps unheard in the din of the battle.

"Oh, my God," murmured Sherry, shifting from one foot to the other. "I know he said not to interfere, but—"

Bands of iron fear tightened around Juvia's thundering heart. She had to do something!

She raised her hands to unleash a torrent of her water magic, but control was never her forte. Juvia's strength was passion, not precision. She wouldn't been able to get a clear shot at the beast, not without hitting Lyon.

So Juvia did the first thing that came to her panicked mind.

"GRAY!" she shrieked, her voice sounding across the battlefield.

Distracted by her cry, Lyon looked up. "Juvia!?" He started towards her, still unaware of how much danger he was in.

No, no, no! Juvia's stomach gave a guilty twist. She couldn't watch Lyon get hurt. She _couldn't_.

"No, behind you!" she screamed, waving frantically. "Get down! Lyon!"

Fortunately, Gray needed no guidance at all. He had barely even glanced her way. But, as Juvia had hoped, he understood.

"_Ice-Make: Floor!_" Gray shouted, slamming his palms to the ground. Ice shot from his fingers, gilding the forest floor. It extended from where he stood, radiating in all directions.

Lyon turned, just in time to see the Gorian, impossibly close, fall with a heavy thud. He dispatched it with a snow leopard. He looked at Gray before he glanced back towards Juvia, an emotion she couldn't identify sparking in his eyes. It looked almost like doubt or hurt. It seemed foreign on someone so confident.

After the last of the monsters were defeated, Sherry came bounding over. "Lyon! What has gotten into you? That was not _love_. You're the one always telling _us_ to pay attention," she scolded.

He shrugged, his posture unnaturally stiff. "Quit fussing, Sherry," muttered Lyon, his eyes downcast.

"If Gray hadn't been there to save you—"

"I didn't _need_ him to save me," hissed Lyon through gritted teeth. He frowned, pressing his lips together.

"Actually, it was Juvia, not me," said Gray neutrally. "I wouldn't have seen it either if she hadn't said anything. You did good, Juvia," he told her.

But Juvia found no joy in a compliment that should have made her giddy. "It wasn't anything really…" faltered Juvia.

She squirmed, uncomfortable with the feelings she didn't understand. The surge of fear she had felt for Lyon unsettled her. She was used to strong, unbridled emotion, but this was one feeling that she wasn't familiar with.

"Aw, that's _love_," Sherry gushed.

"Please don't go there," sighed Gray.

"It's not like that," mumbled Juvia. She dug her toe into the ground. "There wasn't any special reason for it. Gray's name is just shorter," she blurted.

"Is that right?" Lyon breathed, his fists clenching briefly.

Sherry's eyes widened. "Juvia, stop."

But Juvia couldn't let the matter drop. Lyon's good opinion had mattered to her for a while now, but she had never needed it as much as she did now. He deserved an explanation. But how could she explain when she didn't even know how she was feeling?

Juvia nodded. "It was easier to say. Faster. And he was closer, so it made more sense," she explained.

"_Juvia_…" warned Sherry.

Lyon stared, shaking his head in disbelief.

"It's not that Juvia thinks Gray's stronger or better or anything like that," she reassured him. Juvia let out a nervous laugh. "You're… you're still Juvia's favorite…" she offered with a weak smile. She raised her head timidly, wringing her hands nervously.

"_Spare me_, Juvia," he hissed, his eyes growing cold. "Despite what you may think, I'm not an idiot."

"No! No, no, Juvia doesn't think tha—"

"I'm going on ahead," Lyon interrupted, his voice frighteningly calm. He continued down the path without waiting for a response.

Juvia wished she could melt, like the water she wielded. "Lyon—"

Sherry bit her lip, frowning. She shot Juvia a troubled look. Then she looked at Lyon's retreating figure. Making up her mind, Sherry sprinted after her partner. "Hey, Lyon, wait up! That is not _love_. Would you slow down? Wait up! _Lyon!_"

* * *

**Well... that changes things a little bit. **

**This whole thing is like a train wreck. You just can't look away... lol. Did Juvia just damage a friendship in an irreparable way? ****Does this secure Gray's position? Do Juvia's wandering thoughts mean anything? And is Sherry going to try to influence things, or take a step back and just let things unfold?  
**

**Does anybody recognize where I shamelessly stole the 'Your name was shorter' line from? It's a head-nod to one of my other favorite anime (which I will probably never write for, since it was pretty much perfect, except for not adapting the rest of the light novels). Shout-out in next week's A/N to anyone who knows what show I'm talking about. Long time readers will know that I'm a dubbie and my brain makes weird, irrelevant associations. As it happens, Juvia's English VA plays the female lead in that other show, and my brain (irrelevantly) decided to associate the two, and borrow that scenario for Juvia and Lyon.  
**

**Next time, in ****_[Mazeverse] The Beginning, The End, and Everything in Between_, the girls have a heart-to-heart that forces Juvia to evaluate what her relationships mean to her.** _"After all, how could there be anybody else? Gray is the only one for me," she insisted. "He has to be…"_ & _"Lyon cares about you a great deal. Surely you've noticed…"_

**Stop back next Friday for the next installment, or just follow me, Karine of R011ingThunder.**


	7. Love or In Love

**Happy Friday! So, for anyone who was wondering, the reference in last chapter was from _Spice & Wolf_! Holo (who is one of my all time favorite anime women, because she has _so_ much personality) has this fun bicker-banter relationship with the (much less interesting) male lead, Lawrence. There's a scene in the anime where Holo a little jealous of another girl that they've become friends with. Lawrence ends up teasing her with something to the effect of: 'Why would I call out for her? I obviously called your name. Mostly because it was shorter and easier to say.' (In the English dub, that makes no sense, since both names are pronounced with 2 syllables, but I digress.) It's a fun, almost flirty moment. She's irritated, and calls him out on it. They banter a little more, laugh it off and all is well. **

**And I wondered what I could do to turn something like that into a negative interaction. And so, we've got the scenario that we're in now. Question is, where do we go from here?  
**

**\- K. Chandler**

* * *

Gray and Juvia made their way to the closest inn. Like Lyon had predicted, they arrived in Hargeon just as the sun was setting. Town Hall had already closed for the day, so they would have to stay for the night and collect their reward in the morning.

"So, that's that," said Gray.

"Our first job together," agreed Juvia, her voice soft. She had been having a hard time focusing since they parted ways with the Lamia Scale team.

"We should do another sometime," said Gray.

"I'd like that. We make a good team," Juvia said politely.

"Yeah… _team_…" sighed Gray. "Listen, not to be ungrateful or anything, but I've already…" Gray trailed off. "Actually, never mind. What I meant was: we work really well together. I had fun."

Juvia wondered if Gray was fighting with his teammates or something. That would certainly explain his recent moodiness. But Gray was often grumpy and unapproachable, and his temper was the least of her worries. It was probably best to leave him to his thoughts.

She was really more concerned about Lyon. He had never lost his cool with her before, no matter how much she tried his patience, but he had looked genuinely upset when he had stormed off with Sherry hot on his heels. Juvia's stomach gave a guilty twist. She wasn't quite sure what she had done wrong, but she had a feeling that it was her fault.

Fortunately, she didn't have long to wrestle with that idea. They ran into Lyon and Sherry once again, this time, in front of the same inn that she and Gray had chosen.

"Lyon!" gasped Juvia. "And Sherry, too!"

"Hello, Juvia," he said politely.

He didn't seem too mad, so maybe things were okay? She hoped so.

"Are you two staying here for the night?" she asked unnecessarily.

"It seems so, yes," he said. He was chillingly calm. There was no trace of that familiar warmth that Juvia had grown so accustomed to.

Juvia didn't know this Lyon, who was quiet and distant. It was like talking to a stranger. She had really messed things up!

"Lyon, are—" she started, haltingly.

"Juvia!" interrupted Sherry, smiling brightly. "Do you want to share a room with me? That would totally be _love_!"

"Is that okay?" asked Juvia. "You really don't mind?"

"Not at all," said Sherry. "It'll be cheaper to split one. And besides, I think us girls need to have a little talk!" she chirped.

"That sounds like fun!" agreed Juvia.

"Perfect," said Sherry. "What about you boys?" she asked, throwing her arms around either Ice Mage's shoulder. "Time for some brotherly _love_?"

Lyon shrugged her off. "We are _not_ sharing a room," he told Gray stiffly.

"Why would we ever want to do that?" asked Gray, prying himself from Sherry's clutches. "I don't need any more weirdness."

"Glad that's settled," said Lyon.

Sherry snorted. "Not _love_. Seriously, you guys never see each other and when you do, you act like this!"

Gray and Lyon exchanged glances.

"Like what?" asked Gray.

"I fail to see an issue. Do you, Gray?" asked Lyon, the hint of a smirk playing at his expression.

"Nope. Dunno what she's talking about," Gray said, grinning.

Sherry groaned. "Seriously? So not _love_."

"Why don't we all meet up here tomorrow?" suggested Gray. "Then we can collect our reward and be done with this."

"Agreed," said Lyon.

"Good night," said Sherry. "Make sure you all get plenty of sleep tonight," she added.

"See you girls in the morning," said Gray.

Sherry started to pull Juvia down the hall, room key in hand. "That was such a good mission," Sherry prattled cheerfully. "I'm really glad we ran into you Fairy Tail wizards."

"I'm glad too," said Juvia as she sat down on the edge of one of the beds.

Sherry flopped onto the other, sprawling out. "But after sleeping in the woods, this is totally _love_!"

"Love…" repeated Juvia.

Sherry hummed contentedly.

"…you say that a lot," observed Juvia.

"Love is important," said Sherry. "Speaking of which… now that the boys are gone, you and I can catch up!" squealed Sherry.

"Catch-up?" asked Juvia. "On what?"

"You know, like, girl talk. Don't you Fairy Tail girls hang out together?" asked Sherry with a perky smile. "It's way too early for bed, so we might as well hang out."

"Oh, yes! Girl talk! Sometimes the girls who live in Fairy Hills will all get together and talk. But a lot of them are a little shy." Juvia thought about Levy and Wendy, who always got embarrassed when the girls started gossiping.

"But you know how this works, then," said Sherry. "I'll go first. So, tell me. How do you feel about Gray?" asked Sherry deliberately. Her smile took on a hard edge.

Juvia didn't have to think about that one at all.

"Gray is very important, of course."

"Really? Important how?" asked Sherry.

"I… I love him," stammered Juvia automatically.

"You love him?" pressed Sherry.

"I suppose so," shrugged Juvia, ducking her head. "After all, how could there be anybody else? Gray is the only one for me," she insisted. "He has to be…"

"You don't sound very sure," said Sherry.

Juvia bit her lip. "I _thought_ I loved Gray. But, lately, I've been… less sure," she said in a small voice.

"Is it possible that you aren't in love with him anymore?" asked Sherry gently.

"But that can't be right," protested Juvia, shaking her head. "How could I not love Gray? After all that we've been through? And all that he's done for me? How could I give up on him? It would be… disloyal. _Wrong_."

"You know, you can love someone, but not be in love with them," Sherry pointed out with a wistful smile.

"Aren't those the same thing?" asked Juvia.

Sherry shook her head. "They're very different," she said sagely.

"But that _can't_ be right. Gray is the one who made the rain go away. I swore I'd love Gray forever. Since the very beginning, it's been Gray."

"I understand how you feel," said Sherry.

"But, how could you?" Juvia asked.

"I've been there. I was just like you, once," Sherry murmured. "Lyon was my beginning."

"Lyon?" echoed Juvia. She pictured him, a cocky smile on his handsome face. Handsome…? Juvia worried at her lip. That word used to be reserved for Gray.

Sherry nodded. "It all started after Deliora—did Gray tell you about Deliora?"

Juvia shook her head, a twinge of disappointment arising from the realization. "Gray… Gray tends to be a private person. I'm sure there are a lot of things he doesn't tell me," admitted Juvia. "I do know about it though, through Lyon. You lived through that?"

"It was terrible. I lost my family. My village. Everybody I ever knew. Everybody I ever _loved_." Sherry paused as her voice broke. "I had nothing left. Until I met Lyon. He gave me something to live for. He was my… my _reason_." She smiled gently, setting a hand on her chest. "He'll always have a special place in my heart, because if it hadn't been for him, I don't know where I would be now."

Juvia tried to imagine what it was like for Sherry. If she lost everyone in Fairy Tail, she'd be devastated! Like the sun would never shine again. And for Lyon to bring Sherry hope, it would have been like he brought back the sun, just like Gray had done for Juvia when she was still part of Phantom Lord.

"You and Lyon must have shared a very special bond," said Juvia.

"Yes, we did," said Sherry. "I wanted to spend the rest of my life at his side, helping him achieve his dreams. At least, that's what I used to think," confided Sherry.

"Used to? What happened?" asked Juvia. "You're both still so close. I can't imagine that's changed."

"No. Those feelings don't just go away. And they shouldn't," continued Sherry, sitting up. She propped her chin on her fists. "Lyon was—_is_—such an important person to me. But it's funny if you think about it." A smile tugged at her lips—another one of those special smiles. "If it hadn't been for Lyon, I wouldn't have joined Lamia Scale. And if I didn't do that, then I would never have met Ren." Sherry played with the ring on her hand, a soft smile making her features glow.

"But what about Lyon?" asked Juvia. "And the special bond you have?"

"I love Lyon. I always will. But I'm not _in_ love with him. Lyon was my beginning... But Ren… Ren is my future. Does that make sense?"

Juvia shook her head. "Not really…" She didn't understand how Sherry could give up on Lyon like that.

"Both of them are very important to me, but in different ways," explained Sherry. "Choosing Ren doesn't mean that Lyon isn't important to me. Loving Ren doesn't mean that I love Lyon any less. My relationship with Lyon hasn't changed. If anything, it's gotten stronger."

"Then why _did_ you choose Ren?" asked Juvia. "It's obvious that Lyon is still very special to you."

"Why?" echoed Sherry, frowning thoughtfully. "Because… Ren gives me something that Lyon can't. A lot of girls think he's a player because of the way he talks. But he cherishes me in a way that Lyon never could. He sort of… completes me, if that makes sense. That's something I don't ever want to be without."

"I think I understand," said Juvia.

Did she just _love_ Gray? Or was she _in_ _love_ with him? Juvia closed her eyes to picture his face. The messy black hair, the stormy eyes.

There was a time when the idea of being mere friends with Gray would have upset her. But maybe Sherry was right. What was friendship but another form of love? It was a different sort of love, certainly, and it was nowhere near as glamorous, but it could be just as strong.

Friendship was the sort of love that you could give to many people. It could be shared and there would always be more to go around. This was the sort of love built on trust, acceptance and care. And wasn't that the best sort of love?

And maybe that's all she had been looking for. Just someone to understand her and accept her, like Gray had when he had extended his hand to welcome her into Fairy Tail. And maybe that's all she wanted from him.

Pining for Gray hurt, leaving a desperate ache in her heart that never seemed to get any better. But, surprisingly, when she stopped, Juvia still felt safe and supported and special, but without any of the frustration.

Ever since the Victory Gala, when she'd danced with Gray and they'd started to become actual friends, Juvia had felt content. _Satisfied_. There was none of the longing or desperate hopefulness that permeated her days.

Closing her eyes, Juvia tried to remember the way it felt to dance with Gray. She remembered how nervous she had been and how excited she had felt. But she couldn't conjure up that feeling anymore. She couldn't even keep Gray's signature smirk in her head because her mind kept replacing his face with another. Someone who always made her feel better after talking to him. Someone who she could always be herself around.

"Sherry, is Lyon upset with me?" asked Juvia suddenly.

"Upset?" asked Sherry carefully. "Did he seem upset just now?"

"No," admitted Juvia. "But he did earlier, when we split up. He seemed angry."

"He's not angry," said Sherry, her voice soft. She paused thoughtfully before adding, "But I don't think he really understands why you had Gray rescue him from that last Vulcan instead of letting him do it himself."

"Was that wrong?" asked Juvia. "I only wanted to help."

"Lyon doesn't see it that way. And sending Gray—his _rival_—of all people?" Sherry's eyes flashed with irritation. "But that was just because Gray's name was shorter, wasn't it?" she asked bitterly. "Easier to say?"

Juvia opened her mouth to speak, but Sherry cut her off.

"Don't try to explain that one. You and I both know it isn't true!" scolded Sherry. "You hurt his feelings, Juvia. His pride, especially. And lying about it only made it worse. What were you thinking?"

Juvia hung her head, ashamed. She never meant to lie. She never meant to hurt Lyon. What _had_ she been thinking?

Juvia could hear the battle, feel the humidity, see the trees. She could see Lyon. She could see the Gorian. She felt fear. Anguish. Panic. Desperation. She was so afraid that she would lose him.

Then Juvia remembered Lyon's chilly politeness when she had seen him in the hotel lobby earlier. She had lost him regardless. And she had no one to blame for that but herself.

"Things will never be the same between us, will they?" whispered Juvia.

"Probably not," said Sherry solemnly.

"Juvia was—that is, _I_—I was just trying to…" Juvia trailed off, shaking her head.

"It's not too late to apologize," said Sherry.

Juvia nodded. "Then I need to talk to Lyon right away," she said, rising to leave.

"Juvia."

Hand on the doorknob, Juvia paused, looking over her shoulder at Sherry.

"It's none of my business what you're going to say to him, but whatever it is, make sure you mean it," said Sherry sternly. "I'm not going to let you hurt him anymore. And if you keep on stringing him along like that…"

"This… was a one-time thing. I made a mistake. And I'm going to make it right," said Juvia.

"That's not it," said Sherry.

"I don't understand," said Juvia.

"Lyon cares about you a great deal. Surely you've noticed…"

"What do you mean by that?" she asked, ignoring the nervous flutter in her chest.

"That's not for me to say. I'll let him tell you himself. If he still wants to, that is."

* * *

**And where does this even leave us?  
**

**I can't take credit for Sherry's little speech here. I think I first saw the idea on FT Confess, but I'm not 100% sure. Somebody (very early on) had said that they believed Lyon and Sherry felt like a more mature version of Gray and Juvia. I would never have come to that conclusion on my own, but I could appreciate the parallels. It's an interesting theory. Given that canon will never satisfy my curiosity on this topic, I wanted a chance to play with it, so here we are.**

**As a side note, I love this idea that the characters that didn't get frozen for seven years (Lyon, Sherry, Jellal, Ultear, etc.) have an additional level of maturity and worldliness beyond what our main FT folks have, since they are now much older than our main cast. I don't know that I saw a lot of that in canon, beyond getting new character designs and better hair for everyone, but it makes a lot of sense to me. It's sort of like the song _She's Got A Boyfriend_ by the band Boys Like Girls. The song starts out with the narrator declaring that he's seventeen and invincible, with the world figured out and a girl on his shoulder. He goes through a lot of relationship drama (including the girlfriend leaving him, hence the title). By the end, he's ******twenty-three and invincible, with the world figured out and a _bird _on his shoulder. His whole world-view is different because he's matured. Things that make him happy and the things that he values has changed. But does he really have the world figured out this time? What do you think? Do we ever have the world figured out? (I personally don't ever think I've got the world figured out. In the moment, I think I do, but in hindsight not so much...)  
****

****You can tell; I'm in a philosophical mood tonight. :)****

**Next time, in ****_[Mazeverse] The Beginning, The End, and Everything in Between:_** _"It's nothing. Look, let's forget this happened, all right? It's over. I'm done."_

**Stop back next Friday for the next installment, or just follow me, Karine of R011ingThunder.**


	8. What the Heart Already Knew

**Happy Friday! I'm excited for this chapter, you guys! And a little bit nervous. And a little bit sad. Yes, this is the chapter where it all comes together. :)  
**

**Does anybody remember me asking you all to pay attention to Juvia and her pronouns? I am aware that there are cultural and linguistical reasons for canon Juvia to refer to herself with third-person pronouns (IMHO, Anitay gives the best explanation with a write up by protonstorm called "Why Do Anime Characters Talk About Themselves in Third Person?"). But in Mazeverse, I'm borrowing that trait to represent something else. I had a guest reviewer correctly guess that I had been using it to emphasize Juvia's moments of uncontrolled emotions (typically distress or excitement). It was almost like an accent that comes out stronger when you're too tired or upset (or drunk... some of my IRL friends have some unique speech patterns, just sayin') to have a good hold on it.  
**

**guest: Thanks for chiming in! Make sure you check out the end A/N after you read, because I'll have another note for you. :) (But don't cheat. Like, actually read the chapter before looking for this note, otherwise you'll ruin it. XD)**

**\- K. Chandler**

* * *

Juvia found Lyon on the veranda that wrapped around the inn, watching the sun sink below the horizon.

Juvia steeled herself. She and Lyon had a lot to talk about.

"Lyon?" she called, her voice hesitant.

Lyon took a step back. "What's the matter?" he asked, his eyes taking a guarded cast.

"Can Juvia maybe—" she broke off with a shrug, biting her lip.

Wordlessly, Lyon took a step to the side, making room for her. He leaned against the railing, looking out at the bustling port town.

For a moment, she stood next to him, letting the silence fill with the sounds of the harbor. Finally, she spoke.

"You're angry with Juvia," she said. "With me," she corrected herself.

"Why would I be angry with you?" asked Lyon in a frighteningly calm voice.

Juvia tugged at her hair nervously. The silence stretched like distance between them.

Lyon sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Is something wrong?" he asked finally.

"No… Yes… I…" Juvia shook her head. Emotions welled up in her chest. Longing and guilt battled for dominance with nervousness underscoring the entire symphony. The lump in her throat grew.

"Juvia?" Concern crept into Lyon's expression, though his eyes still held that unfamiliar coolness.

Juvia thought about what Sherry had told her. Taking a shaky breath, she gathered her courage.

"Juvia wants to talk about earlier."

"There's nothing to talk about," he said mildly. "You're not hurt. Gray's fine. I'm fine. Everything's fine. All is as it should be."

"No. Everything isn't fine," said Juvia. "This is _not_ how things should be! Juvia lied, Lyon. So I'm here to apologize."

She was mixing her pronouns again. It was a habit that she had developed when she was trying to get Gray's attention. How strange for it to bubble to the surface while she was talking with Lyon. Was that because she was reaching for her deepest emotions? Of course, it was poetically appropriate, since Lyon was the one who suggested it in the first place.

Perhaps it would be better—easier—to talk about her other self in third-person. With all that she had learned, she almost felt like a different person.

"Lied? What are you talking about?"

"Juvia wasn't honest. And it hurt you. Juvia, no, I… _I_ didn't mean to. I'm sorry…"

"I'm not quite sure I follow," said Lyon.

"Juvia didn't mean to question your abilities. I know you're an amazing wizard. Stronger than me. Stronger than Gray."

Lyon frowned. "Don't worry about that," he muttered, shaking his head. "It's fine."

"It's _not_ fine," Juvia insisted.

"I don't mind, really," he said, but his clipped tone revealed his injured pride. "It's fine."

"Stop saying that things are fine!" she begged. "Please. Please, I want to apologize. I want to hear what you really think. I want you to tell me if you're still upset or yell at me if you're angry. I don't know how to deal when you hold your feelings back."

"When haven't I?" he muttered bitterly.

"W-what?"

"It's nothing. Look, let's forget this happened, all right? It's over. I'm done."

Juvia's eyes widened at the implication behind Lyon's words. He didn't mean that they'd put the past behind them. He meant that _they_ were over and _he_ was through.

She didn't want that!

"_Please_, Lyon. Let me apologize. Let me explain…"

She couldn't stand the idea of losing someone who had grown to become one of her dearest friends. Lyon was always looking out for her and he always made her feel so certain. He brought out a side in her that she had never realized existed. And that was something she didn't want to be without.

And that was when Juvia realized that she was here to do more than apologize.

With a weary sigh, Lyon lowered his eyes. He gave her a stiff nod to continue.

"It's true that Juvia called out for Gray on purpose. But it wasn't because his name was shorter."

"That was fairly obvious," said Lyon. "The question is _why_."

"Juvia trusts Gray. That's why she called out his name and—"

"No," he snapped. "Why did you insist on it when it obviously wasn't true? What kind of fool do you take me for?"

"Lyon isn't the fool. Juvia was. Juvia was confused about her feelings and she didn't know what to do about it," she admitted.

"What's there to be confused about?" he asked harshly. "You like Gray. End of story."

Juvia shook her head, trying to find the right words. "No. Juvia _trusts_ Gray, but he wasn't the one she was thinking about. When Juvia saw that Gorian behind you, there was only one person on her mind."

"Gray."

"No. _You_. Lyon… Juvia—_I_ was worried about you."

"About _me_?" Lyon gave a bark of disbelieving laughter.

"It's true."

"Well, there was no need," he said sharply. "I'm stronger than that idiot Gray. I've always been able to hold my own."

"I know that. But that's not the point," mumbled Juvia.

"No?" Lyon quirked an eyebrow.

"It's like I said. Juvia _trusts_ Gray. Juvia will always trust Gray, because he's a Fairy Tail Wizard, just like she is. She'll trust Gray like she trusts Lucy and Cana and Natsu and Gajee."

The frown on Lyon's face softened. He observed her warily, making Juvia squirm. Lyon had always been intense, so it felt like he was staring her down, even though she knew he really wasn't.

"Just the same, Juvia will… _I_ will always worry about you, Lyon," she confessed softly. "Not because I don't believe in you. I do. You're the strongest person I know and being with you makes me feel safer than anything. But… I _care_ about you. More than I realized," she whispered.

"But what about Gray?" asked Lyon. "Don't try to convince me you don't love him."

"Juvia… will _always_ love Gray. He was Juvia's beginning. But Juvia… _I_… I am not _in_ love with Gray. Not anymore."

Lyon shook his head. "Don't. Don't say things just because you think I want to hear them."

"I'm not. Lately, I've come to realize that I—" Juvia broke off, heat rising to her face. Why was it so hard to get the words out?

"Juvia. Enough," said Lyon, his tone surprisingly gentle. "Don't force yourself. I don't want to hear things you aren't ready to say. I don't know if I can endure another disappointment. Why don't we just leave things be? Let's go back to being the way we always were. All right?"

Those were the words that Juvia had thought she wanted to hear when she had sought Lyon out. But now, she realized that they weren't enough.

"No. We can't go back to how things were," said Juvia. "At first, I thought if I kept pretending that nothing had changed then, everything would go back to normal. But the truth is: I don't think about Gray… not the same way I used to. I haven't for a while now. I think… I was more in love with the _idea _of Gray. I don't know him as well as I thought. And I don't think he really knows me either."

"He was always an idiot," offered Lyon, patting her on the shoulder. "He'll come around though. Just give him time."

"Thank you, Lyon. But, no," said Juvia. "I don't need him to. I don't _want _him to. Lately, there's been someone else on my mind. Someone who cares about me and accepts me, just the way I am." She reached up, brushing her fingers against his where his hand rested on the railing of the veranda.

"Juvia." Through the raging torrent of tumultuous emotions in Lyon's eyes, a glimmer of hope cut through. "Are you saying what I think you're saying?"

Juvia nodded. "I think I might be…" She shrugged shyly, looking away. Her feelings were there, more real than anything she had ever felt before, but she just couldn't put them into words.

"Wait. Don't say anything." Lyon stood straight, pulling his hand away. He squared his shoulders, turning to face her.

Juvia's stomach plunged. "Are you saying that you don't want—"

"No, no. Of course not," said Lyon quickly. "I just… I want to be the one to say it first. If you'll allow it."

Juvia's eyes widened. He was giving her an out because she was struggling. But he was making it sound like she was doing _him_ a favor. But wasn't he always like that? "You've done so much for me, Lyon. I couldn't ask you to—"

"But I want to. I've been waiting for such a long time, Juvia. You don't get to take that away from me," he teased, the barest smile crossing his features.

"A long time?" echoed Juvia.

"Yes, a very long time," said Lyon.

"How long?"

"Since we first met. If not then, then shortly after."

Juvia could hardly believe it. She had been so nervous to broach the topic with him as her brain caught up with what her heart already knew. But Lyon spoke with such certainty, as if there he had no doubt about what he wanted. Her chest filled with warmth.

Juvia swallowed at the lump in her throat. "Lyon…" she breathed. "Why didn't you ever say anything?"

He gave a breathy chuckle. "I did," said Lyon. The briefest flash of pain flickered in his eyes before he dropped his gaze to the ground. "But you never noticed. You only had eyes for Gray. It seemed clear that my advances would be inappropriate, so I stopped. Though, I never did manage to stop feeling the way I do." When Lyon looked up again, his eyes shone with determination. "But now, you've given me hope that perhaps my feelings for you aren't so unwelcome?" His voice rose at the end like it was a question, the only outward sign of his faltering courage.

"So, this whole time that I've been in love with Gray…" whispered Juvia, her eyes widening in realization. "And making you help me with him… Talking about him every time I see you…" she choked.

"I've been in love with you," he confirmed, reaching for her hands tentatively. He tightened his grip gently when she didn't pull away. "I want to be with you, Juvia."

Juvia swallowed at the lump in her throat. "How could you love someone like _me_?"

"Do I need a reason to love you?" he asked.

"But that must have hurt so much… To listen me go on and on about Gray like I did…" she whimpered.

"I'd do it all over again," he said, pulling her to his chest without hesitation.

"But why? How could you stand to do that? The whole time, you tried to help me, even though it wasn't what _you_ wanted."

"My feelings on the matter were irrelevant. It was worth it, because it made you smile. That's all I ever wanted."

"Oh, Lyon. I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry," she said, her voice breaking. He was so selfless. Even when he thought she would never return his affections, he loved her still, without reservation. And she had never once appreciated him for that.

"No. Don't you blame yourself for that," he whispered fiercely, one hand tangling in her hair. "I didn't tell you that so you could feel guilty about it. You couldn't help your feelings any more than I could help mine. It's like I said last night: you can't help who you fall in love with."

"Falling is easy; it's the landing that's hard," she quoted. "Catch me on the other side?" she asked with a watery smile.

She felt the chuckle rumble through his chest. "I'll be there to catch you every single time. Always and always," he promised. "I will be there. I will try, with everything I have, to make sure that you always have a smile on your face, if you'll allow me to."

"Always and always," she choked. "No one's ever loved Juvia like this. I don't know what I've done to deserve it. Especially after Juvia's been such a fool…"

"No. No, you're not. You _do_ deserve it—all of this and then some," he said. "My precious, precious, Juvia. You deserve a man who will love you and cherish you and protect you and… and…" Lyon shook his head, finally running out of words. "…and give you the world and then some."

"Lyon, I don't need you to give me the world," she said, smiling. "Because you make me feel like I could do anything, be anything. And when I'm with you, I want to _take on_ the world. I love who I am when I'm with you."

"But is that really going to make you happy? Is that really enough?"

Juvia nodded furiously against his shoulder, letting his scent soothe her nerves. He smelled like wood and spice and wonderful dreams. "The fact that you love me is enough. _Y__ou_ make me happy. You do. You may not have been Juvia's beginning, but you're the happy ending that _I've_ always wanted."

* * *

**#Endgame **

**Did anyone see this coming? (And when did you figure it out?) Just curious.**

**Hopefully that brings this subplot (both the romance and the Juvia growth arc) to a satisfactory conclusion. For those who wanted to see it go the other way, I have other universes in the works (some Gruvia and some Lyvia... and at least one that's both in the most tragic way possible), so there are plenty of opportunities to see something that I didn't get to explore here.  
**

**What excites me most about this particular outcome is that it gives us the opportunity to dig into some issues that I haven't seen widely discussed: affectionate and demonstrative Juvia in a distance relationship; Gray and Juvia as BroTP... (ironically, they'll be even closer than ever); and a version of Gray who's been ditched by not one, but two girls...(I'll bet he feels great about himself and about relationships in general...)**

**For my dear guest reviewer from last week, as well as several others who have politely advocated for Lyon over the last few months: Wish granted. :) For anybody who is pleased with the outcome, do me a favor and leave a shout-out in the comments. My impression is that Lyvia shippers have always been a very small group within the FT fandom, but I'm curious to see how true that is. There aren't a ton of Lyvia writers left... are there readers?**

**Next time, in ****_[Mazeverse] The Beginning, The End, and Everything in Between_, what does Gray think about all this: **_"What are you doing here? Come to rub it in?" Gray opened the door, leaving it ajar after he stepped inside. That was as much of an invitation as Lyon was going to get._

**Stop back next Friday for the next installment, or just follow me, Karine of R011ingThunder.**


	9. Clearing the Air

**Happy Friday! This week we have the long awaited (at least in my head XD) conversation between Gray and Lyon. I'm not entirely sure why I enjoy pitting these two against each other. It probably amuses me more than it should.  
**

**So, I'm pretty sure that I was planning to make some kind of clever, deeply philosophical, meaning-of-life comment to lead into this chapter, but I cannot seem to remember what it would have been. (I started this morning with a 6am meeting... Ugh. Needless to say, my brain is just mush at this point.)**

**So with no further ado...  
**

**\- K. Chandler**

* * *

Master Ur had always promoted the value of an early morning run as part of an Ice-Make Wizard's training regimen. Gray remembered many a sprint through the mountains just as the sun's rays started to peek out from between the icy Isvan mountain tops.

Though he didn't observe this part of his master's teachings religiously at this point, Gray still appreciated a good jog first thing in the morning from time to time.

He wouldn't be surprised if Lyon felt the same way.

But it did surprise him to find Lyon waiting outside of his room when he returned from his run. He looked like he'd been waiting for a while.

"There you are, Gray."

"What are you doing here? Come to rub it in?" Gray opened the door, leaving it ajar after he stepped inside. That was as much of an invitation as Lyon was going to get.

Gray grabbed a towel from the bathroom, drying the sweat from his hair.

"No. I've come to say I'm sorry," said Lyon, shutting the door behind him.

"Say what?" Gray paused, towel still over his head. "What do _you_ have to be sorry for?" he asked.

Lyon gave a long-suffering sigh. "Don't give me that, Gray. I'm trying to be the bigger person here."

"Typical," Gray snorted, tossing the towel aside. "Seriously, though. What are you doing here?"

"After everything that's happened, I felt like we ought to talk," said Lyon. "It seemed like the right thing to do."

That wasn't cryptic or anything.

"So, talk," said Gray impatiently. He wasn't in the mood for games.

Lyon ran a hand through his hair. "You're not going to make this easy on me, are you, Gray?" sighed Lyon.

Gray pulled a t-shirt over his head before flopping down on the bed. "I still don't even know what you want, Lyon."

"It's about Juvia," said Lyon.

Gray knew that he shouldn't have been surprised. For a moment, he considered offering his condolences, but Lyon probably wouldn't find that funny. He settled for a more neutral response.

"Oh, yeah. She came by last night. Told me you two got together," said Gray.

"And you're okay with that?" asked Lyon carefully.

Gray gave him an incredulous look. "Yeah, why wouldn't I be?"

"I can't read your mind, Gray. I don't know." Lyon gave a tired sigh. "The two of you have gotten much closer as of late."

Gray sighed. He had to admit that he and Juvia _had_ gotten to know one another better since Lyon started interfering. Before, she was just some obsessive girl who stalked him mercilessly. But at this point, he wouldn't hesitate to call her one of his friends.

As much as he couldn't deny that he cared about her, he couldn't give her what she wanted. Gray knew that he wasn't really what she was looking for. Juvia needed and craved the sort of affection that he didn't quite know how to express. It just wasn't his style.

And besides, his heart already belonged to someone else. Even if she was off in the middle of nowhere with a filthy criminal named Jellal.

Finally, Gray spoke. "Honestly, I'm actually glad it worked out the way it did. I mean, she's a nice girl and stuff. I mean it. But..." He shook his head.

"But what?" asked Lyon, his brows pulled together in concern.

Gray leaned back, hands crossed behind his head. "I never saw myself sharing a future with her," he admitted.

There were times he wondered if some small part of him had secretly hoped that things had been different. Then maybe things would have worked out between them. His ice to her water, fated to be together.

But that part of him wasn't fooling anybody. He wasn't ready to commit, and he knew it. It wouldn't have been fair to lead her to believe otherwise. That was the main reason he had always erred on the side of caution with her. Juvia was the kind of girl who would have happily let him string her along for the faintest hope that they might be together. But Gray wasn't the kind of jerk who could take advantage of her devotion.

"You have no imagination," said Lyon. "Juvia is the most—"

But Gray wasn't in the mood to hear a lovestruck Lyon sing his new girlfriend's praises. It would be just like Lyon's 'Master _This_, and Master _That_, and Master, Look At What I Just Made!' Phase. Only, this would be, like, a hundred times worse. Because instead of childish hero-worship, this was a whole different sort of devotion. It was a feeling that Gray, himself, knew well.

"Be grateful for that," interrupted Gray. "You wouldn't have got the girl if I did."

That shut him up. Lyon's mouth quirked in reluctant agreement.

Gray sat up, pointing an accusing finger at Lyon. "Remember. Just because the two of you are dating does _not_ mean you can kidnap her and force her into joining Lamia Scale."

"Not unless that's what she wants. But it wouldn't be much of a kidnapping then," said Lyon.

"Seriously, Lyon. She's a Fairy Tail wizard," Gray said sternly.

"I understand that."

"Do you?" asked Gray, narrowing his eyes.

Lyon gave a wry smile. "Better than you realize," he chuckled.

There seemed to be a story behind that look, and Gray was tempted to ask, but he thought better of it. So instead, he said, "Good. Because if you do anything stupid, you're gonna answer."

"To whom? You?" Lyon raised an eyebrow skeptically. "_Please_. Gajeel scares me more than you do."

"You're asking for it, Lyon. Why don't you let me show you just how scary I can be?" said Gray, glowering. Sure, Gajeel was pretty intimidating. But no way was Lyon going to get away with talking smack like that.

"We're not children anymore, Gray," Lyon reminded him.

"You wanna go? Right here, right now."

"No," Lyon scoffed.

"What? Afraid I'm gonna beat ya?" jeered Gray.

Lyon had the nerve to roll his eyes. "You _do_ realize what that would look like, don't you?" drawled Lyon. "I'm actually doing you a favor."

"Huh?"

"You wouldn't want to look like Juvia's jealous ex, would you?"

"As if!"

"You're welcome," said Lyon, flashing him a haughty smirk.

Gray growled. "Whatever."

But after a moment, Gray looked at Lyon again. "But there's one thing I don't get," he said.

"What would that be?" asked Lyon.

"I know you've been helping her," said Gray.

Lyon chuckled all too innocently. "What are you talking about?"

"Don't deny it, Lyon," said Gray. "There were things that Juvia knew about me that I never told her. Stuff about Ur. Deliora. Living in Isvan. I _know_ she's been spending time with you."

"I didn't realize that you hadn't shared those things with anyone." Lyon looked almost apologetic.

"I didn't say that…" Gray trailed off. Though he was a private person, Gray did share some things with his friends. Erza knew about most of it, and he had mentioned some of it to Natsu. "But that's not the point. What I want to know is how you could stand to do that. I know you've liked her. Don't try to deny that one either."

"That's what love is, Gray," said Lyon. "I was ready to accept the consequences of that commitment, whatever the cost. I wanted to ensure her happiness, even if it meant letting her go."

"Letting her go, huh?" Gray echoed softly. There was a certain logic in that, though Gray would never admit it. Instead, he pulled a face. "Geez, you're such a sap!"

But Lyon didn't retaliate. Instead he just smiled, looking superior. "One day, you'll understand."

"There you go again. Always trying to come off as the bigger person."

"I do have seven years on you, you know," he reminded Gray smugly.

"Give it a rest, will ya?"

"Of course," said Lyon amicably. "I don't argue with _children_," he added.

Gray chucked a pillow at Lyon's head.

The older man caught it easily. "A _pillow_," said Lyon, arching a haughty brow. "How mature."

"Next one's made of ice," threatened Gray.

"Thank you for proving my point," said Lyon. But he shut his mouth and beat a hasty retreat when Gray pressed a fist to his open palm to make good on his threat.

* * *

**So Gray's okay with this outcome... or is he really? ****Since we've endgamed Lyvia, Gray's going to have to find some other outlet for his dissatisfaction.  
**

**Next time, in the final chapter of ****_[Mazeverse] The Beginning, The End, and Everything in Between:_** _Gray wondered what would have happened if he had said yes. Would that be him there instead of Lyon? He and Juvia looked so happy…_

**Stop back next Friday for the final installment, or just follow me, Karine of R011ingThunder.**


	10. Epilogue: Back to Magnolia

**Happy Friday!  
**

**Last weekend was a good week for comments (between this fic and some of the older ones). I really appreciate the response, you guys! You're amazing! ****We had a couple readers ask about Gray and what this turn of events means for his relationships (namely Erza). Since that's something you guys want to talk about, I'll answer that question with a few paragraphs of analysis before jumping into replies to guest reviews.  
**

* * *

**Yes, Gray is still single... and it's a situation****** of his own making, though he hasn't fully realized that yet. Natsu had incorrectly diagnosed the problem as Gray being indecisive, but it's his _inaction_ that's to blame. He knows who he's into (Erza), but he hasn't done much other than wait and see, hope for the best, and (most recently) brood & mock Jellal, now that Erza's decided to spend time doing Crime Sorciere missions. W******e can probably agree that continuing to do what he has been doing isn't going to be effective. Part of Gray's subplot is working his way through that inaction to a better outcome for himself.  
**

****But will that outcome involve Erza? At present, Erza physically absent (at Crime Sorciere guild), but she's been emotionally absent in her last few conversations with Gray. Another way to express it is that they haven't been on the same wavelength. She doesn't see him as a serious option. I would even go as far as to say that the only definitive romantic intent Erza has expressed towards Gray was in the archery story (where she went from Zero to Sexy in no time flat XD, but then backed away and friend-zoned him when she couldn't figure out what to do with it). She's been approaching him in the friend-zone ever since, even though Gray wants them to be more than that. ****

**Can this situation be changed? Nothing's impossible. But to do so, Gray would have to express himself in such a way that Erza starts to see him romantically as opposed to platonically (which would change their dynamic). What's working against him is that this realization (which we are having here, but Gray has not come to yet) is coming way too late. There's the added time-pressure of Erza's burgeoning relationship with Jellal (which we will soon see) that Gray now has to contend with. Conversely, maybe Gray's path to self-realization does not involve Erza. It might not be a bad idea to take stock and see who else is also single and dissatisfied with their situation. That would be a path of less resistance, which Mr. Inaction seems to be fond of. (Gray's my (second) favorite; I tease with love. XD)  
**

* * *

**Guest: Gray and Ultear would be very interesting. I've seen some really good FT confess theories on them that would make good material. (Sorry, that was a completely non-answer answer.) We'll just have to see how things work out for both of them. Ultear is definitely an option, and she is someone that will be paired off by the end of Mazeverse. Thanks for reviewing!**

**Guest: I love Gray and Lyon as rivals! We'll definitely be seeing more of them in the future. We'll actually be seeing more of Lyon in general, because his involvement with Juvia pulls him into more interactions with the main cast a little more often. Sherry was my wild card (and probably the real reason that Lyon and Juvia are together). Had Gray actually offered Lyon condolences, they may have come to blows, which would have been pretty funny, honestly. As for Gray, Erza's not out of the question yet, as discussed above. Keep your fingers crossed! It's very kind of you; it's high praise, and I thank you for it. It's my absolute pleasure to write for you guys and a privilege to get to be part of your lives. Thank you for your continued support. It means the world to me! And yes, to the next! :)  
**

**Guest: Thank you for sharing your concerns with me. I think they're entirely valid. I understand that you're a bit worried about how this latest revelation may impact Gray's subplots as well as the rest of Mazeverse. Let me start by saying that we do have a lot of subplots (Natsu on the run, Jellal...more on this later, the Freed-Mira-Laxus thing) in Mazeverse, so that's going to limit how much focus we end up giving to Gray, so hopefully that helps to bring some variety. As for Gray's relationship with Erza, I completely agree that it's unrequited. That said, I can't promise that Gray won't run the Erza issue to ground as he works through consequences of his own inaction and decides how to move forward from here (with or without her). However, there is one other aspect at play: We don't know enough about Jellal yet. He's part of this supposed love-triangle, but he's gotten no screen-time so far. We'll remedy that by moving the action over to Crime Sorciere HQ next week. We'll get to understand Jellal and his situation (and his relationship with Erza), so that'll help to flesh this one out. Hopefully this addresses some of the issues. Thanks for reviewing!  
**

**\- K. Chandler**

* * *

He was okay with it when she came and talked to him yesterday. And he was fine with it when Lyon had stopped by this morning. But now Gray couldn't help the twisting sensation in his gut when he saw the two of them together.

They had claimed their reward at the Town Hall that morning and the two teams were preparing to go their separate ways. Or at least they would be, if two certain somebodies weren't having trouble saying goodbye.

"Are you finished yet?" sighed Gray.

"A little patience wouldn't kill you, Gray," said Lyon before turning back to Juvia. "It's not that far away. And I'll come visit, like I always do. We'll be all right."

"I know…" sighed Juvia. "I just not ready to go home yet."

"You could always come back to Lamia Scale with me," teased Lyon. "We'd be happy to have you, wouldn't we, Sherry?"

Juvia laughed. "Nope, I'm a Fairy Tail girl through and through," she said. "But keep trying."

"Ah, I thought you'd say that," said Lyon. "Then you'd best get back to that guild of yours then. You're keeping the idiot waiting."

"Who are you calling an idiot?" groused Gray. But they paid him no mind, lost in their own little world.

"I made you something," said Lyon, pressing a bit of ice into Juvia's palm. "I still have to get you a proper chain for it, but… Do you like it?"

"Oh, Lyon, darling!" she squealed.

Gray caught a glimpse of Lyon's offering. He had created a heart-shaped pendant, elaborately decorated with an icy filigree. Even Gray had to admit that Lyon's craftsmanship was exquisite. But the whole heart design was totally overkill.

Though he seemed practical, Lyon had always been the sentimental type, even when they were growing up. But Gray would never have pegged his senior student as such a hopeless romantic, though.

"This is the first time I've made something like this," admitted Lyon. "It's probably not my best work. Actually, maybe I should re-do it."

"You're so talented and creative," Juvia reassured him.

"Are you sure?" he asked. "It's okay if you don't like it. I can make you something different. If I do it over, I'm sure it'll come out better."

"No, it's beautiful! I love it!" cooed Juvia. "I was just hoping it wouldn't melt. That's all."

"It won't," promised Lyon. "This one will last forever. Just like my love for you, sweetheart," he told her.

"That's so adorable," gushed Sherry. "I'm glad it worked out for you two!"

"Sherry… You knew," said Juvia reproachfully. "You knew all along, didn't you? That's why you asked to share a room with me."

"I _suspected_," Sherry shrugged, smiling faintly. "I know _love_ when I see it."

"I thought you were opposed to the idea," muttered Lyon.

"Juvia convinced me otherwise," said Sherry, shrugging. "At that point, I figured I'd help things along."

"What did you do?" demanded Lyon, narrowing his eyes at his teammate. "What nonsense did you put in her head?"

"Nothing that wasn't already there," grinned Sherry. "That's _love_!"

Lyon glowered before turning to Juvia. "I apologize. She was out of line to force you to—"

"Don't be upset, darling," said Juvia, tucking her hand into the crook of Lyon's arm. "I didn't do anything I didn't want to. And besides, it all worked out. We're together, and that's all that matters."

"If we don't get moving, we're going to miss our train," Gray reminded them.

"Sorry, we just need a minute," said Juvia.

"You said that ten minutes ago!"

"When will I see you again?" Juvia asked Lyon.

"How about next weekend?" he asked, wrapping his arms around her waist. "You still owe me a coffee date."

"Oh, that's right!" said Juvia. "We never _did_ do that. Ugh, but the weekend is so far away…"

"I'll call you tonight?" asked Lyon.

"Much better," said Juvia, smiling softly. "So, I guess… I'll talk to you tonight then?" she added reluctantly.

"Tonight."

Gray cleared his throat.

"Okay… I guess I'd better go," said Juvia.

"Mhm. Probably."

They made no move to separate.

"May I?" Lyon asked suddenly.

"What?" said Juvia.

"I'd like to kiss you," said Lyon.

"O-okay…" said Juvia.

Lyon leaned in slowly. He froze in place when Juvia surged up on her toes and pecked him on the cheek.

"Sorry. Not what you had in mind?" she mumbled, looking away as her face turned bright pink.

"No, no. That was perfect," he said, a dopey grin spreading across his face.

"Really?"

"Really."

"That's love!" crooned Sherry. "Aren't they sweet?"

"You've gotta be joking!" said Gray. "Any more of this and I'm gonna hurl."

"Somebody sounds jealous," observed Sherry.

"Yeah, right!" said Gray.

He wasn't jealous! It was just weird seeing Juvia with Lyon. She was usually the one hanging off of _his_ arm. It was a little lonely without her.

Gray wondered what would have happened if he had said yes. Would that be him there instead of Lyon? He and Juvia looked so happy… Maybe Gray _was_ a little jealous.

But he wasn't resentful that Juvia chose Lyon. What he really longed for was that special something they shared.

But he hadn't been able to accept Juvia, and she had chosen Lyon. Just like he took too long to tell Erza how he felt, and she had left Fairy Tail for Jellal.

Maybe Gray was destined to be alone for the rest of his life.

After _another_ ten minutes of touchy-feely crap, and seven I-love-you's later—not that Gray was counting or anything—Lyon and Juvia were finally ready to say their goodbyes.

But Gray and Juvia had literally only gotten ten feet away before Lyon called out for him.

"What now!?" barked Gray.

"Look after for her for me," said Lyon.

"Seriously, man? You're making a way bigger deal out of this than it needs to be," said Gray. "We're just going home to Magnolia. We're not leavin' the country."

"Magnolia's still further away than I'd like it to be," said Lyon. "And there will be times when I won't be able to be there, just by nature of that distance."

"Oh, for pity's sake, Lyon!" said Gray. "You're in town pretty much every other week! Sometimes you're there twice a week!"

"_Please_," said Lyon. "I'd consider it a personal favor."

Was Lyon _begging_?

Gray let out an irritated sigh. "Fine. But you know I would have anyways, right? Me and her being guild mates, and all? Anyways, we've got a train to catch."

"Gray!"

What was it this time?!

Gray turned around, surprised to see the hand that Lyon extended. Gray arched an eyebrow. What on earth was that? Then Gray chuckled, understanding. He reached over and folded Lyon's fingers into a fist, ignoring the other man's look of confusion. He locked eyes with his long-time rival, giving his fist a solid bump before turning and heading for the train station.

Gray and Juvia did not end up missing their train, even though Gray complained about it the whole way to the station. The train ride from Hargeon wasn't long, so Gray and Juvia were back in the guild by the afternoon.

"It's so strange," mused Juvia as they neared the guild hall. "I never thought I'd end up in a distance relationship…"

"I never thought things would end up like this, period," commented Gray. "Are you okay with the whole distance thing?" he asked.

"We'll figure it out," said Juvia. "Maybe being in love isn't about being _together_. That's almost more romantic," she said as they stepped into the guild hall.

"Welcome back, you two," Mira greeted them. "What's 'more romantic'?" she asked, having overheard the tail end of their conversation.

"Mission accomplished," Gray said to Mira. "Consider that one done."

But Mira wasn't looking at him.

"Oh, my!" Mira gasped. "Juvia, is _that_—" Mira pointed at the ice pendant that hung from Juvia's neck.

Juvia blushed, a hand reaching up to touch Lyon's gift.

Gray bit back a groan of annoyance. Not this again!

For a moment, no one spoke.

Then chaos ensued.

"Gray, you sly dog!" Wakaba clapped him on the shoulder.

"That's the way to be a real man!" bellowed Elfman.

Gray crossed his arms. "I had nothing to do with it."

"Don't try to deny it, Gray," said Cana. "We all know you like her."

"Don't be an idiot, Cana," said Gray.

"But Gray, we just wanted to congratulate you," Wendy said gently.

Gray huffed a sigh. "Are none of you listening?" he asked, shaking his head. Of course, they never listened. Why was he surprised?

"Gray, let me handle this one," Juvia whispered.

"Yeah. Good luck," he snorted. He'd been trying to tell the rest of the guild off since the start. It didn't get him anywhere.

"So, he finally asked you out, eh?" crowed Cana, throwing an arm around Juvia.

Juvia shook her head. "Why would _I _ever want to date Gray?" she asked innocently.

Cana blinked in amazement. "Wait. _What_?"

"Did Juvia just… use the word 'I'?" asked Lucy, her forehead scrunched.

Gajeel gave an approving grin. "Did she just turn down the Ice-Pervert?" he growled. "Shoo-be-doo-bah! This calls for a drink," he added cheerfully.

"Make that two…" muttered Cana, shaking her head in disbelief. "God, I can't believe it! I think I just lost a fortune!"

Macao nodded, leaning across the table. "Pay up," he grinned.

* * *

****That's that, but it's far from the end... do you really think the rest of the guild is just going to let this slide? Everyone's going to want to get involved with Gray's problem, as they perceive it. ********If you had fun with this story, please consider showing your support with a comment, fave or follow. Talking with you guys makes my day!****

****BTW, there are different levels of 'distance' in distance relationships. Some might argue that Lyon and Juvia aren't truly in a distance relationship since they can still get together over weekends. But I figure they're far enough apart that it isn't feasible to just meeting for lunch or helping someone with a flat tire (hence Lyon's 'look after her for me'). I had a friend who did the distance thing for a few years. I think he and his gf were about 5 hours apart, by car. He told me that they'd make plans to meet up every two weeks, typically taking turns on who's turn it was to travel, to keep things fair.****

**Next week, let's catch up with ****Erza. What do you suppose she's up to? (Hint: She's probably having more fun than Gray is right now.)  
**

**Stop back next Friday for _[Mazeverse]_ ****_Welcome to Crime Sorciere HQ_****, or just follow me, Karine of R011ingThunder.**


End file.
